


Hippogriffs Soar When the Lake is Frozen

by myglassballoon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Quidditch, Slow Burn, bear with me I think this is a good idea, character ages changed to fit Hogwarts, lots of quidditch, present-day setting, some description of accidents/injuries later on, that means Victor has long hair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-09-24 23:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 42,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9792866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myglassballoon/pseuds/myglassballoon
Summary: "There will be substantially more Quidditch this year.”----Soon after that announcement Yuuri can't believe his luck when Hogwarts Quidditch legend Victor Nikiforov asks him to join his team, Mila finally gets a chance to talk to her crush, and Yuri P. starts to realise that Victor's forgetfulness might actually have done him a favour for once.This fic is currently on a (possibly permanent) break.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [pick lilacs for the passing time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9055756) by [astralelegies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astralelegies/pseuds/astralelegies). 



> I was partly inspired by this wonderful fic although it's not a Hogwarts setting. It's a ballet AU that I would recommend to anyone who likes well-written slow burn sweetness.

Yuuri watched the landscape turn greener outside the train windows. He loved the journey on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of the new school year. Many people complained that it was impractical to travel to London just to then get on a train to Scotland, but it was a tradition and Yuuri enjoyed it. He had met his best friend Phichit on his very first journey to Hogwarts and they had ridden the train together every year since.

Now, at the beginning of their sixth year, they had secured a department along with Guang-Hong and Leo, two of their fellow players on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. They spent the first hour on the train talking about the summer. None of them had seen each other over the break since they had all returned home to their families in different countries, and there was a lot of catching up to do.

After they had each retold their holidays and bought a substantial amount of food from the trolley witch around noon, Phichit looked around at his team mates and asked the question that, judging by his excited expression, he had been eager to discuss all along: “So what do you think the big announcement is?”

The other three looked confused.

“What big announcement?” Yuuri asked.

“Yuuri, didn’t you hear? You were standing right next to me! Earlier today, on the platform, Victor Nikiforov and Yuri Plisetsky walked past us. Nikiforov said something along the lines of ‘ _you’ll have to wait until the big announcement tonight’_. Did you seriously not hear him, Yuuri?”

“I don’t think I even saw them,” Yuuri lied and turned to the window again to hide his blush. Of course he had seen him. How could anyone fail to notice Victor Nikiforov, star Seeker of the school, with his long silver hair and his big flashy smile?

“Doesn’t sound like it concerns us,” Leo said, “it’s probably something private. Or something to do with the Gryffindor team.”

Phichit shook his head, a grin spreading across his face. “I’m pretty sure he also said ‘ _the younger students aren’t supposed to know yet’_ or something like that. Sounds to me as if it concerns the whole school.”

“You heard all of that while they were walking by?” Guang-Hong asked sceptically.

“Well, the last part was a bit unclear but it makes sense.”

Everyone laughed, even Phichit. They all knew how obsessed he was with secrets, big events, and documenting it all with his magical camera he had gotten for his birthday two years prior. He and Yuuri had spent most of their fourth year perfecting brewing the potion that made developed pictures move. The previous year, Phichit had decorated the Hufflepuff common room and their dormitory with several hundred photos he had taken over the course of the year. Yuuri remembered the last night of term that they had spent taking down all the pictures. Phichit had been worried that they might be disposed of if he left them there over the summer, so he had taken them home. There wasn’t a doubt in Yuuri’s mind that it was only a matter of time until his friend would have enough new pictures to start decorating again. He had already taken several pictures of the four of them on the train.

“We’ll just have to wait until dinner, but I’m willing to bet money that something’s up,” Phichit said.

“Alright, one galleon. I say there will be no big school-wide announcement tonight.”

“Agreed.” Phichit and Leo shook hands.

“Anyone else?”

Yuuri and Guang-Hong declined and Yuuri was about to change the topic but Phichit wasn’t done yet. “Why aren’t you guys more excited? This could be something really cool!”

Guang-Hong cleared his throat and imitated Phichit’s excited voice: “ _Guys! Guys! There’s a treasure in the Lake, let’s go diving even though it’s April and we’ll end up sick!”_

“I didn’t say treasure! It’s a lost pensieve and just because we haven’t found it doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

“A Grindylow bit me and we were all sneezing for a month,” Leo complained, “so forgive us if we’re not too enthralled by your ideas for a while.”

“Oh come on, that was months ago!”

 *

The bickering went on for a while and Yuuri smiled happily. As nice as the summer home with his family had been, he had really missed his friends.

Slowly, darkness spread outside and finally the train came to a halt at Hogsmeade station. It was a mild evening and the four boys continued laughing and joking as they rode a carriage up to the castle. They took their seats at the Hufflepuff table and watched the new students be sorted into the houses. The start of term banquet was as fantastic as ever but Yuuri couldn’t help but gaze over at the Gryffindor table a few times. Nikiforov was sitting near the middle of the table, facing his way. He was talking to everyone around him, which was no surprise given that he was one of the most popular students of the entire school. Yuri Plisetsky, who was sitting next to him, looked annoyed, as he usually did. Yuuri didn’t know much about him other than the fact that he played Chaser for the Gryffindor team. When Yuuri happened to pass Nikiforov in the corridors or saw him at meals, Plisetsky was often around, despite the fact that he was two years younger than Nikiforov and couldn’t possibly be in any of his classes.

A sudden shift in the general noise level made Yuuri turn his head to the front where Professor McGonagall had stood up.

“Before I send you off to your common rooms, there are a few announcements to be made.”

Phichit shifted on his seat, obviously excited for what he hoped to be the big surprise.

“First, please be reminded that the Forbidden Forest bears its name for a reason. Anyone caught out of the castle after curfew will face severe consequences. Second, causing damage to library books can now lead to temporary banns from the library. Last year twenty-one books were damaged beyond repair by students. Hopefully you will all treat borrowed books with the appropriate respect this year. And third-“ (Yuuri could hear Phichit whisper “come on, come on” under his breath) “- there will be substantially more Quidditch this year.” Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to continue but loud cheering and clapping forced her to make a pause.

Phichit extended his hand to Leo, who paid up. “I’m not even mad,” Leo said, clapping along with the other students.

“If you would let me explain,” Professor McGonagall said, her voice barely raised. The noise died down immediately. “Thank you. As you all know, Hogwarts Quidditch has gained a favourable international reputation. The teaching staff and the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry agree that this reputation is reason enough to increase the number of Quidditch matches played per school year. Mr Cialdini has kindly agreed to not only referee the additional matches but to organise them as well. I would ask him to introduce you to this year’s competition for the Hogwarts Cup.”

Mr Cialdini, the flying teacher and Quidditch referee, stood up from his seat at the end of the table. There was a second wave of cheering and applause as he walked around the table.

“I’m happy to see you’re excited!” he called out. When silence had returned, he continued. “This competition will be different from the House Cup. Before anyone asks, yes, the House Cup will still take place. This second competition, however, will not be carried out among the house teams. There will be seven new teams, each coached by one of your fellow students. Would the seven coaches please come to the front.”

Along with everyone else, Yuuri scanned the Hall to see who the coaches would be. His eyes rested on Victor Nikiforov, who made his way to the teachers’ table in his usual confident manner. He, and six others stood in a short line before their fellow students.

“Miss Blum, Mr Nikiforov, Mr Altin, Miss Skripova, Mr Croewn, Miss Ross, and Mr Kingston,” Cialdini said, pointing at each of them, “are the coaches of the seven teams competing for the Hogwarts Cup this year. They will not play for their own teams but function solely as coaches. They will select teams of eight players each. The eighth member of each team will be a substitute. There will be no more than one substitute per team. The teams will consist of players of different houses. No more than five players of the same house will be permitted on each team. Students who play for their house teams may also join one of the new teams but please do not reject your studies in favour of Quidditch practice! Timetables for trials and matches will be displayed next week. If all goes well this year the Hogwarts Cup will become a new tradition. If there are any more questions, feel free to ask the new coaches tomorrow.”

He led the coaches from the Hall, presumably so that they could get to bed before they were bombarded with questions and offers to play for them.

“This is brilliant!” Phichit yelled over the general ruckus as they slowly filtered out of the Hall. Students seemed particularly keen on getting to their friends from other houses today, so that the Great Hall was in chaos as everyone was on their feet, trying to run in different directions. It took them longer than usual to get to their common room and once they had arrived, there was nothing much to do except to put on pyjamas and go to bed.

Yuuri took some time to take in the familiar surroundings of his dormitory. Four beds, heavy yellow curtains, and a general sense of warmth and being welcome. He had never been in any of the other houses’ common rooms, and had certainly never visited someone else’s dormitory, but there was no doubt in his mind that the Hufflepuff basement was the most comfortable place to live in the castle. He fell asleep almost as soon as Phichit had put the light out.

*   


Since the next day was a Saturday, Yuuri and Phichit took their time in the morning and arrived at breakfast quite late. Leo and the fourth classmate who shared their room, Anton, had already left. There was far less chaos in the Great Hall than on the previous evening and they easily found seats at the Hufflepuff table. Yuuri borrowed someone else’s newspaper and took his time enjoying a relaxed, unhurried breakfast. Or so he had planned.

He had barely taken the first sip of orange juice when Phichit, who sat opposite him, raised his eyebrows in surprise and Yuuri felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Katsuki!”

He turned around and instantly choked on his juice. Victor Nikiforov stood next to him, his usual smile on his face, and his hand still on Yuuri’s shoulder. Yuuri coughed, trying to get the juice out of his windpipe.

“Careful, don’t die on me now,” Nikiforov said, patting his back in a way that wasn’t really helpful to Yuuri.

“Thanks,” he rasped when he had his breath back, his face now a shade of red that would have qualified him as Gryffindor decoration. Despite his embarrassment he turned around on the bench to see what Nikiforov wanted from him.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“That’s okay,” Yuuri did his best to meet Nikiforov’s eyes. He noticed that they were blue, almost turquoise. He had never been this close to him. Indeed, they had never exchanged many words and Yuuri could feel the heartbeat in his ears being so close to Hogwarts’ most celebrated Quidditch player. He wasn’t just a fellow student, he was close to being a legend. Ever since he had played for a Russian team during the summer break after Yuuri’s third year, Victor Nikiforov had been admired by every Hogwarts student even remotely interested in Quidditch. He was the youngest player to ever play in a Russian national competition, and although his team hadn’t won, it was no secret that his Quidditch career, once he left school, was secure. Since they both played as Seekers, Nikiforov had become Yuuri’s personal Quidditch hero and before he had made the Hufflepuff team, he had often been conflicted when his house played Gryffindor, wanting to cheer for Nikiforov more than anyone else.

“I hope you’re having a good morning,” Nikiforov said formally.

“Sure, yeah, thank you.” Yuuri wasn’t quite sure what was going on.

“I want you on my team. What do you say?” Nikiforov smiled again, apparently trying to look winning. It worked splendidly.

Yuuri cleared his throat. “Yes, sure, I’d be… honoured,” he stammered, blushing again as Nikiforov laughed a happy little laugh that was interrupted by someone bellowing “ _VICTOR!_ ” across the Hall. Nikiforov turned around in a calm and utterly undisturbed way.

Yuri Plisetsky came marching over from the Gryffindor table.

“What are you doing with Katsuki?” he demanded, stomping his feet. Nikiforov, completely unfazed by this impolite greeting, now put his hand on Plisetsky’s shoulder, who shrugged it off rather aggressively. “I asked him to join my team. He graciously accepted.”

Plisetsky looked as though he might quite literally explode.

“But he’s a Seeker! You promised _ME_ , Victor!”  
When Nikiforov didn’t show any sign of understanding what the younger Gryffindor was talking about, Plisetsky let out a frustrated noise. “Typical,” he snorted. “Last year you promised me that if you ever got your own Quidditch team, you would let me be your Seeker, and I’m holding you to it!”

Nikiforov looked from Plisetsky to Yuuri, apparently remembering his promise.

“This is awkward,” he said, “given that I’ve already asked Katsuki. I mean, technically I

was talking about a professional team when I made that promise, not a Hogwarts competition, but still, I feel bad.”

“Yeah, right,” Plisetsky said, his voice still loud, “I don’t care what you _technically_ meant – I want to be on the winning team!”

Nikiforov was silent for a while, then clapped his hands, in a good mood again.

“Alright, I’ve got it,” he said, “why don’t you both train with me some time next week so you can see what I want from a Seeker, and then you can compete against each other and whoever is better gets to be on the team.”

“Fine.” Plisetsky turned to storm off. “Let me know when, I’ll be there.”

“Is that alright with you, too?” Nikiforov asked.

Yuuri nodded.

“Great! I’ll send you an owl. I’ll have to book the pitch. See you then!” And he left the Hall, people gawking after him.

“What the hell was _that_?” Phichit was not the only one staring at Yuuri. Most people in the Hall had interrupted their breakfast to follow the noisier part of the interaction. Yuuri just shook his head, unable to utter a word. He was not entirely sure that _the_ Victor Nikiforov had just offered him to play Seeker on his team.

The previous night, after the announcement, Yuuri had caught himself day-dreaming about this opportunity but he had never anticipated it to actually happen. He had thought about checking the timetable for tryouts as soon as it was put up and do his best to get on Nikiforov’s team – he wouldn’t have dared to think he would simply come up to him and ask. If it wasn’t for the unfortunate fact that Nikiforov had offered the spot to Plisetsky as well, he would have gotten on the team with no effort at all. That just seemed too unlikely to be true.

“He really just asked me to be his Seeker, right?” He turned to Phichit for confirmation, who nodded enthusiastically.

“You couldn’t have looked more surprised if he had asked you to marry him.” He laughed, “seriously, though. You’re good but out of all the hopeful Seekers in the school you were probably not the candidate most people would have bet on. No offence!”

Yuuri agreed. This was a turn of events better than he could have hoped for. The thought of having to compete against Plisetsky in a direct comparison was unnerving but not trying was not an option worth wasting a single thought on. He had never seen Plisetsky play Seeker, as he usually played Chaser on the Gryffindor team, but if Nikiforov had offered him the position there was no question that he was excellent.

 

* * *

 

Yuri Plisetsky was not a patient person. The days between his confronting Victor in the Great Hall and the test training session and competition with Katsuki passed by painfully slow. Yuri had been fuming with anger when he had stormed off that morning and he still felt that Victor had wronged him. That position on the team was rightfully his and now he would have to beat that Japanese weirdo to secure it. He had to keep reminding himself that this wasn’t actually Katsuki’s fault but Victor’s. Victor and his stupid sieve-like memory.

Maybe, Yuri thought when he finally walked down to the Quidditch pitch on Wednesday evening, he wouldn’t be in such a bad mood if he knew for sure that he could win against Katsuki. Yuri knew that he was a good Seeker despite the fact that he had never had the chance to prove it in an official game. He had been to numerous Quidditch summer camps where young players were encouraged to try out all four positions, and Yuri was by far the most comfortable when he played Seeker. Yuri was certain that he could win in a competition against both Ravenclaw’s and Slytherin’s Seeker but Katsuki was a wild card. One game he would almost crash into the goalposts, the next he would play brilliantly. That just made Victor picking that guy more frustrating. What did he see in him that made him want him on his team so badly he had waited in the Great Hall to catch Katsuki first thing in the morning? Yuri had found Victor’s behaviour that morning odd until he realised he had been looking for Katsuki. Had he been worried someone else would ask him first if he wasn’t fast enough?

Annoyed by his own thought process, Yuri kicked a pebble in the grass as hard as he could. It was true that the past few days had been mayhem – at least for those students who were invested in Quidditch. Once the other coaches had realised Victor had started asking people to join his team, they had all taken to running around the castle in search of the school’s best players. By Sunday evening every house player had been granted a position on one of the new teams. Every house player but him. Yuri had turned down two offers to play Chaser and was now dependant on his tryout. There was a lot at stake.

With gritted teeth he grabbed his broom and walked onto the pitch, where Katsuki was already waiting. No trace of Victor. Typical.

Yuri arrived where Katsuki was standing and greeted him with a sharp nod.

Until Victor showed up a few minutes later, neither of them spoke a word.

“Good, you’re both here already!” Victor called as he marched towards them across the field, carrying the ball crate. He put it down and looked around the stands once, making sure there were no spectators. “Personally, I wouldn’t mind an audience but since these teams aren’t bound to houses, we have decided that no one will be allowed to watch any training sessions of teams they don’t belong to.”

Victor let his hand slide through his hair as he always did when he tried to look extra cool and casual. Yuri rolled his eyes.

“Right. Let’s get started. You’re both good, but there’s a lot left to do before you’re really excellent. I know most people say the most important qualities a Seeker must have are good perception and speed, and they are important, but I believe what makes a Seeker truly stand out is elegance. Sure, you can win by flying in the right direction and grabbing the Snitch when you get the chance, but that’s hardly a strategy. Think for a moment of the really good Seekers you’ve seen win matches. What do they all have in common?”

There was a moment of silence. “They make flying look like it’s nothing. Like it comes naturally,” Katsuki said. Victor nodded, obviously happy with the answer.

“Exactly. They make it look as if their brooms are extensions of their bodies and that allows them to be efficient, elegant, and fun to watch. You both think too much when you fly, at least that’s what it looked like to me the last time I saw you play. So whoever wins today will be working with me on relying on their instincts more. Of course whoever loses will be welcome to join the team as the substitute player.”

Yuri snorted.

“It’s an offer,” Victor said.

Then he had them take turns doing some simple exercises catching balls while dodging other balls he was throwing at them. This first part of the training session was no problem for either of them and Victor soon moved on to having them fly increasingly difficult manoeuvres, correcting them at times and reminding them to rely on their instincts. Yuri still wasn’t completely sure what instincts had to do with Quidditch. His instinct as a Seeker was to catch the Snitch, but surely that was not all Victor meant. After about an hour they stopped and Victor announced it was time for the competition.

“It’s simple: I’ll release the Snitch and whoever catches it, wins.”

They took their positions hovering over the field. Below them Victor took the small golden ball out of the crate and held it over his head. “One – two – go!” he called and Yuri sped up his broom, taking a sharp left turn. Katsuki was right behind him. The Snitch flew higher, towards the goalposts at one end of the field. Yuri followed it through one of the hoops while Katsuki took the safer route, ducking under it. Yuri stretched out his arm and missed the Snitch by a few inches. Its tiny wings fluttered hectically as it escaped towards the centre of the pitch. Katsuki was faster to turn since Yuri had only one hand on his broom. He caught up fast and they chased after the Snitch, their knees almost touching in the air. The Snitch took a right turn, to Katsuki’s advantage, and then went into a sudden dive. They followed, neither of them breaking out of their fall until the ball did, only a few feet above the ground. They flew halfway around the stadium and then returned to the centre where Victor stood watching them.

The Snitch’s path led them right to him and Yuri realised that he would have to decide whether to pass Victor going slightly to the left or by flying higher. If both the Snitch and Katsuki went to the right, Katsuki would almost certainly catch it. Yuri waited as long as he dared to see where the Snitch was going. In the last moment he picked up height, drawing in his legs as to not hit Victor’s head. Katsuki had made the same decision. The Snitch soared right by Victor’s left ear and continued to the left, rising several feet. Katsuki, instead of taking the longer turn fell back and stayed below Yuri. The Snitch took a sudden right turn and dipped down by a few inches. Yuri hurried to follow, stretching out his arm again but Katsuki was faster, throwing himself forward, almost losing balance and toppling over. Yuri saw Katsuki’s fingers close around the Snitch.

He let out a frustrated growl and slammed his feet on the ground harder than he meant to. He got off his broom and left without another word to either Katsuki or Victor. Katsuki had won fair and square. There was nothing left for Yuri to do but leave. He didn’t want to hear Victor offer him the position as substitute.

Yuri threw his broom in the broom shed and began marching back to the castle, angry and disappointed.

“Hey, Plisetsky, wait!”

Yuri turned around unwillingly to see who it was. Someone jogged towards him but he didn’t recognise him in the dark until he was only a few feet away.

“What are you doing out here, Altin?”

“Sorry you lost,” Altin said, “I snuck in.”

“I’d report you if I cared.”

Altin shrugged. “Do you want to be Seeker on my team?”

Yuri was caught by surprise. “What?”

“I figured I’d ask the one Nikiforov doesn’t pick.”

“How smart of you.”

“I guess. So, are you in?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Yuri said, hiding the relief he suddenly felt.

“Good.” And he jogged off towards the castle, leaving Yuri behind.


	2. Chapter 2

“Can someone tell me how a Muggle camera works?” Professor Greystone looked around the class until someone in the first row raised a hand.

Mila found it extremely difficult to focus on what was being said about light and tiny holes in boxes while she was sitting directly behind Sara Crispino. She should have known better than to pick this seat but now she was stuck with it for the term. Sara’s long dark hair fell over the back of her chair and every time she moved even the slightest bit, Mila’s attention was drawn to how impossibly shiny Sara’s hair was. Mila had spent longer than she cared to admit thinking about how Sara Crispino had the most beautiful hair she had ever seen. This was unusual, since Mila had never considered herself to be particularly interested in other people’s hair.

With Sara Crispino, though, she had to admit that she found everything about her interesting. Her subtle Italian accent, her talent on the Quidditch pitch, how she got along with everyone despite her twin brother’s tendency to threaten any male in her vicinity. To say that Mila was smitten might well have been the understatement of the year.

She did what she could to follow professor Greystone’s lecture on early Muggle photography but she knew she would have to look up the details in the library if she wanted to understand any of it.

Mila knew exactly when she had started feeling this way about Sara. The previous year their Care for Magical Creatures class had discussed unicorns and on the rainy November afternoon they had come face to face with several unicorn foals Mila had properly noticed Sara for the first time. She couldn’t quite put into words what it had been. Naturally she had noticed Sara’s existence before – they were in some of the same classes and Sara was a gifted Quidditch player for the Ravenclaw team. But before that afternoon almost a year ago she hadn’t thought of Sara more than of any other classmate.

The teacher for Care of Magical Creatures, professor Suresh, had managed to catch three young unicorns and bring them to the paddock near the forest’s edge where his class could examine them. The smallest one had had pure golden fur, while the two slightly larger ones were transitioning to a more silvery coat. No one in the class had been able to hide their fascination with the creatures, even those boys who had at first tried to play it cool and act as if their manliness disallowed them to like baby animals. Professor Suresh had let them into the paddock in small groups and the class had been delighted when they realised the unicorns would let them pet them in exchange for treats. Mila had been running her fingers through the smallest unicorn’s fur, lost in thought, when the girl standing next to her had nudged her arm and pointed over to the other side of the paddock. Sara had stood there with one of the silvery unicorns, her arms around the animals’ neck, her face buried in its fur. The two other classmates in her group had backed away as if to give Sara and the unicorn some privacy. Mila had never seen anything more beautiful than Sara Crispino hugging a unicorn, the expression on her face so peaceful it had been almost painful to watch.

Ever since then, Mila had wanted to talk to Sara alone but something had always held her back. Once she had realised that what she felt was a crush, she had been too worried, too awkward, to say anything.

The class ended and before Mila could brace herself, Sara turned around on her seat, said “see you later” and vanished out the door. As it happened, Victor had asked them both to play on his team. Being on the same team would surely lead to opportunities for casual conversation. Maybe the tides had turned after all.

*

Later that afternoon Mila left the castle for Victor’s team’s first official practice. It had been a nice surprise when he asked her to play for him. She had played Chaser on the Gryffindor team for two years, and apparently Victor thought well enough of her skills to want her on his own team. Her fellow Chaser Chris Giacometti had joined the team as well. She was relieved to be playing with someone familiar. The three Chasers of a team had to communicate well and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses on the pitch in order to play successfully. Having Chris there would hopefully take the edge off the fact that their third Chaser was no other than the girl she’d had a stupid crush on for months.

Mila took a deep breath before she walked onto the field, broom in hand. She greeted the other players who were already present and they all waited around in awkward silence until the rest of the team and Victor arrived.

“Alright, everyone’s here so let’s get started,” Victor said, his usual smile on his face. “After last weekend’s trials we have a complete team and I’m confident we can win! I doubt that you all know each other, so I’ll introduce you. We have a great new Keeper, Charlie Boyd,” Victor pointed at a small blond boy who looked no older than twelve.

“He’s a second year, yes, but he was better than anyone else I saw on Saturday.” Charlie waved to the team, a blush spreading across his face.

Victor continued. “Our Beaters are Amal Hart of the Slytherin team and a new find, Clara Bell.” A tall sixth year and a shorter girl Mila had never seen before nodded. “Chasers are Chris Giacometti, Mila Babicheva, and Sara Crispino,” They all waved to their fellow team members. Sara smiled right at her. Mila pretended to experience a sudden spike of interest in Victor’s little speech.

“Our Seeker is Yuuri Katsuki, and our substitute is Laura Gelbert. Now that everyone knows each other, we should pick a name for the team. Mr Cialdini wants the team names to be somewhat Hogwarts-related and I’ve already come up with one: Frozen Lake. If you all like it we’ll just go with it, otherwise let’s hear your suggestions.” Victor flashed his smile again and waited but no one seemed to have a problem with ‘Frozen Lake’. Mila had no idea why Victor wanted this particular name but it wasn’t too bad.

They spent the better part of an hour trying to come up with regular practice times that suited everyone’s schedules. “Remember those times might still change. I’ll have to check to see if the pitch is available when we want it,” Victor reminded them.

Then they finally started training. Victor had them do lots of team-building exercises such as learning everyone’s names by throwing the Quaffle from person to person, and flying different formations.

They played a quick game of four versus four with three Chasers and a Keeper on each side. Mila was teamed up with Sara, the Japanese Yuuri, and the Beater called Clara. Yuuri volunteered to play Keeper and he wasn’t too bad, but Mila didn’t pay too much attention to what he was doing. She was busy enjoying how easy it was to be on Sara’s team. She was a very good player, especially when it came to knowing how to help out her team mates. Mila had noticed that talent of Sara’s the previous year. Her brother Michele played Chaser as well, and he and Sara seemed to practically read each other’s minds when they played, but it seemed like Sara was good at teaming up with anyone. They played to a hundred points, and Mila’s team of four beat the others by two goals.

“Well done, everyone! This is it for today,” Victor called from the stands. “I’ll let you know as soon as we have set times and next time we’ll continue where we left off today. In the meantime, get to know each other a bit. I want us to become a real team, so if you can, meet up with one or two of your team mates after classes.”

Mila wasn’t sure but she could have sworn Victor winked at her on the last sentence.

 

* * *

 

As the summer ended and the weather grew colder Yuuri quickly got used to his new routine. Playing on two Quidditch teams meant practice six days a week, and despite the fact that there were no major examinations like O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s in sixth year, his teachers seemed to believe that homework was all their students lived for. Yuuri found himself spending most of his weekends in the library trying to write the countless essays that were due the following week. Phichit, who was just as busy as him, often joined him, and Yuuri was certain that he would not be able to manage the workload if he and Phichit didn’t help each other out wherever they could, lending each other notes and proofreading essays.

As Yuuri had expected, Phichit had indeed begun to plaster the Hufflepuff basement with photos again. How he found the time to take the pictures and then carefully develop them, Yuuri had no idea. Phichit was playing Chaser for Hufflepuff and Otabek Altin’s team that Yuri Plisetsky had joined as well. Yuuri had been very relieved when the timetable for the matches had been announced and he realised that he would not be playing against Altin’s team, the Hippogriffs, in the first round.

Mr Cialdini had explained how the competition for the Hogwarts Cup would work at a special meeting for the teams. There were three rounds followed by the Final Game in June. Every round consisted of each team playing against two other, randomly assigned, teams. After the first round the two teams with the fewest points would be eliminated, and the same would happen after the second round. In the third round, the remaining three teams would each play against each other, and two teams would emerge to compete in the Final.

The season would begin in November, following the first two matches in the House Cup. The whole school seemed more enthusiastic about Quidditch than ever before and players and spectators alike couldn’t wait for the traditional first game of the school year, Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

Then, at the Halloween banquet, just a few days before the game, Yuuri became privy to surprising news. His thoughts were taken off the sweeping clouds of bats and the hovering pumpkins immediately when Leo, who had been at practice, joined them late for dinner and announced in little more than a whisper: “apparently Nikiforov isn’t playing for Gryffindor this year.”

Yuuri, Phichit and Guang-Hong stared at him, uncertain if he was making a joke.

“What do you mean, Nikiforov won’t play?” Guang-Hong finally asked, leaning over the table.

“You know Georgi Popovich, that Gryffindor Chaser? He’s on my team and I heard him tell Thomas Austin – he’s Gryffindor as well.”

“And Popovich said those exact words, _Victor won’t play_?” Yuuri couldn’t think of a single reason why the most gifted Seeker of the school, the Quidditch champion of Hogwarts, would decide not to play for his house in his last year. The rules prohibited him from playing for Frozen Lake, so if he didn’t play for Gryffindor, that meant no active playing for him this year at all.

Leo nodded. “He said the Gryffindor team have known for a while, but kept it a secret. It’s surprising no one realised before, if you ask me. I guess we all just assumed Nikiforov would play so no one bothered to check if he was going to practice.”

Phichit stood up to see where Victor was sitting. Yuuri tugged at his robes. “What are you doing? Sit down.”

“I just wanted to see if he’s injured or something. But he looks fine.”

“I could have told you that, I had practice yesterday.”

Phichit shrugged. “Maybe it’s not something you can see that easily. Maybe he was bitten by something.”

“Like what?” Leo asked.

“A vampire?” Guang-Hong suggested.

Leo snorted. “If he’d been bitten by a vampire he wouldn’t be walking around outside during the day, now, would he?”

“Who knows,” Phichit said. “It was just an idea. There must me _something_ wrong with him if he doesn’t want to play.”

Yuuri silently agreed. It didn’t seem like Victor to miss an opportunity to play Quidditch. From what he had learned about him during practice, Victor was absolutely crazy about the sport. The way he talked about it, his insights into his team’s strengths and weaknesses, his whole person exuded love for Quidditch. It didn’t add up.

Yuuri wished he could just ask him but he felt it wasn’t his place. They weren’t that close.

*

During their next two training sessions Yuuri tried to look out for any signs, even the smallest hint that would have explained Victor’s decision not to play this year, but he didn’t notice anything. Thursday evening they finished practice early. Chris and Mila had extra training scheduled for Gryffindor’s match against Slytherin on Saturday, and Victor said he didn’t want to overwork them. As always, the team took their time in the changing room, talking and laughing. Victor stood in a corner, leaning against a wall, smiling. He had praised them earlier for how well they had grown together as a team.

Yuuri had finished changing into his black school robes and was about to leave with the others when Victor called him back.

“Yuuri, can I talk to you for just a minute?”

The others left and Yuuri stayed behind, feeling strangely nervous. Despite the fact that they now spend time together most days of the week, Yuuri and Victor had not talked in private on many occasions. Yuuri sat back down on the bench, his broom across his lap.

“I was wondering how you’re doing,” Victor said.

“Oh.” Yuuri was surprised. He had expected that Victor wanted to discuss his flying or ask him to try a new technique. “I’m alright, thanks,” he said.

“I thought I’d check in. You seemed distracted today.” Victor eyed him curiously from where he was standing.

Yuuri cleared his throat. If he had seemed distracted it was probably because he had been trying to figure out Victor.

“Sorry. I’ll do better next time,” he said.

“Is there anything on your mind?” Victor asked. He seemed genuinely interested. This might have been the moment to tell the truth and ask why he quit the Gryffindor team but Yuuri couldn’t bring himself to do it. It would have been an invasion of Victor’s privacy. He thought of something else to say.

“I guess I’m just a little behind on some school stuff,” he said vaguely.

“Anything in particular?”

“We’re supposed to be doing nonverbal spells in Charms and Defence against the Dark Arts and I haven’t figured that out yet.” This was not a lie.

“Ah,” Victor said. “I get it, I found it quite hard at first, too, but you’ll get the hang of it, don’t worry. I could help you, if you want.”

Yuuri felt a sudden warmth creep into his cheeks and hoped Victor didn’t notice his blush.

“Thank you, but that’s alright. I just need to practice more, I’ll be fine.” The last thing he wanted to do was burden Victor with his own problems. He probably had enough on his mind. He was in his last year at Hogwarts, was coaching his team, and soon the whole school would be asking him questions about any and all of his decisions concerning his professional Quidditch future.

“Really, I don’t mind. And it might be an opportunity for us to get to know each other better. As your coach I feel like I should know some things about you. After all, the Seeker is usually the one to make or break a match. How about tomorrow evening?”

Yuuri was unable to think of a good reason to decline the offer, so they agreed to meet in an empty classroom on the fourth floor after dinner the next evening. If he was completely honest, Yuuri was looking forward to it. He could truly need some help with his nonverbal spells, and he had to admit he had secretly hoped for an opportunity to talk to Victor alone. He had been idolising him for so long it was time to get to give the real Victor a chance to introduce himself. The Victor who was more than the embodiment of elegance and poise on a broom. Surely, behind all his smiles and confidence there was someone with other interests, hopes, dreams, perhaps even fears. Since he had started coaching the team, Yuuri had begun to realise that the idolised version of Victor he had come to admire over the years wasn’t enough anymore. Still, the prospect of meeting him alone made him nervous and he would never have suggested it. Luckily Victor seemed to believe that getting to know his Seeker would be a good idea.

*

Yuuri spent the next day in nervous anticipation of the evening’s tutoring session. He didn’t eat much at dinner and hurried back to the Hufflepuff basement to make sure he didn’t have anything stuck between his teeth. As he was there already, he thought, he might as well put on a fresh jumper and clean his glasses properly.

When he got to the fourth floor, Victor was already waiting for him, sitting on a desk in the disused room they had agreed to meet in. He had abandoned his usual ponytail and his long hair flowed freely over his shoulders.

“Alright, I thought we’d start with the Summoning Charm.” Victor pointed to a stack of books next to him on the desk. “I’ll hold a book and you’ll try to summon it without speaking. Ready?”

Yuuri nodded, rolled up his sleeves and took a position two rows of desks away. Victor held up an old Potions book. Yuuri concentrated on the book, thought “ _Accio_ ” and flicked his wand at the book. Nothing happened. He tried several more times, to no avail.

“Concentrate on the spell. You have to hear it in your mind.” Victor stretched out his arms and came a few steps towards him to shorten the distance. Yuuri tried. The book fluttered weakly in Victor’s hands but stayed put.

“Good, you’re getting there.”

Yuuri kept trying, and after ten more minutes managed to make the book fly from Victor’s hands to about halfway between them, where it fell to the floor.

“That’s a good start,” Victor said in an encouraging voice as he picked the book up. “Let’s try again, but think even harder to make the spell stronger.”

They spent another twenty minutes practicing in which Yuuri managed to summon the book all the way to where he was standing only once. Several times, the book left Victor but then decided it had done enough and fell down. Yuuri worried Victor might get bored soon. He was probably judging him for his lack of competence already.

“You worry too much.” Victor dropped the book and sat down on a desk next to Yuuri. Yuuri sat on another desk, facing Victor, unsure of what to say.

“Let’s take a break,” Victor suggested. “Tell me something about yourself.”

“Like what?” Yuuri couldn’t think of a single thing about him that he could have told. He wasn’t a very interesting person.

“Like why you go to Hogwarts. Isn’t there a good school in Japan that has even more of a Quidditch reputation than Hogwarts?”

Yuuri nodded. “Mahoutokoro. My parents didn’t want me to go there. There are lots of stories about terrible Quidditch injuries people got there. Their training is a lot harder than at Hogwarts and you start school at age seven. I was already into Quidditch and flying then and my parents were worried something would happen to me if I went there. They offered to send me to all sorts of training camps instead and when I turned eleven I could go to Hogwarts. I’m sure Mahoutokoro isn’t as rough as my parents think but I couldn’t argue with them because they both went there. They never played Quidditch, though.”

Yuuri stopped talking, embarrassed that the only reason he went to Hogwarts was that his parents were worried he might not be tough enough for the school in his home country. Victor had been listening as though this story was actually interesting.

“I think it’s nice your parents care so much. And you like being here, right?” he said.

“I love it here.” Yuuri felt blood rush to his cheeks. “I mean, I don’t know how things would have turned out if I’d gone to Mahoutokoro but I can’t complain. Hogwarts is a good school and I feel at home here. What about you, why aren’t you in Durmstrang?” he asked. “People probably ask you that all the time,” he added when Victor didn’t answer right away.

“Not really,” he said. He ran a hand through his long hair. “I don’t know where exactly Durmstrang is – not that many people do. So I don’t know how close it is to where I’m from. I never wanted to go there, anyway. My parents had this book of magical tourist attractions in Europe that I used to look at a lot as a child. The big European schools were in it, of course, and there was a double-page spread about Hogwarts. There were pictures of the grounds, the Great Hall, and some other places around the castle, and I just completely fell in love.” He laughed, almost nervously, his hand in his hair again, before continuing. “For my ninth birthday I asked for a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ and read it in a week. When the time came I begged my parents to try and get me into Hogwarts, and here I am.” He smiled.

“I don’t tell that story very often,” he added quietly.

“Why not?” Yuuri asked.

“People don’t ask that often. And it’s kind of a private thing, you know.”

“You told me.”

“I wanted to. You told me your story. I feel like I can trust you with mine.” He looked Yuuri right in the eye, his expression open and relaxed. Yuuri made a decision.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“You want to know why I won’t play for Gryffindor this year.”

Yuuri nodded, not sure if he had gone too far. Victor sighed but didn’t seem annoyed.

“It’s my last year at Hogwarts and I need to focus on my studies. Coaching a team and playing at the same time seemed a bit much.”

Yuuri didn’t know what to say. He sensed that there was more to it but didn’t dare ask again. Victor was looking at him, a strange expression on his face, as if he was waiting for Yuuri to comment on his answer.

“Does that sound believable at all?” he finally asked.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s as good a reason as any. If… if that’s the reason.”

“Of course it isn’t. I just need something to say to people I don’t want to have a whole long conversation with.” Victor had gotten up, strolling to the windows and looking out at the dark grounds.

Yuuri realised that, for some reason, Victor wanted to talk to him about this.

“Why are you really not playing?”

Victor still had his back to him and spoke quietly, but in a clear, even voice so Yuuri had no difficulty understanding him. “I want a break. I love Quidditch but it’s all I do. It’s clear to everyone that after Hogwarts I will join a team, probably in Russia, maybe somewhere else, but it’s set in stone that that’s what I will do. I want it, too. The thing is just that I don’t really have a say in this. My future, my career, has been decided on and I’m not sure by whom. I needed to make my own decision and do something no one was expecting. I want to do more than Quidditch in my last year here. I love to fly but I don’t want it to be the only thing I ever think about.”

For a while neither of them spoke. Once again, Yuuri didn’t know what to say but Victor didn’t seem to expect a response.

He walked back to the desk with the books on it.

“Do you want to try summoning these again?” Victor asked.

Yuuri stood up and took his wand from his desk, preparing to summon the book Victor had picked up.

“Yuuri,” he looked up. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone this.” For a moment, something flickered across Victor’s face that Yuuri had never seen on him before.

Victor Nikiforov had opened up and made himself vulnerable.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I would upload a new chapter every Monday, but I'm leaving tomorrow to visit some friends and I won't be back until Tuesday night. I really wanted to get this out before I leave, so here it is - the first Quidditch match of the season (yay!). I had to really hurry to get this done in time so it's a bit shorter than the first two chapters and possibly a bit rough around the edges. Sorry about that.

On Saturday morning the entire school was at breakfast at the same time. No one wanted to miss the first Quidditch match of the season. Yuri sat at the Gryffindor table between his team mates, eating without much appetite. It wasn’t like he had a problem with eating before matches, he just couldn’t be bothered to feel any enthusiasm towards toast and eggs.

There had been a final practice session the previous night, and Yuri was confident that the Gryffindor team had a fair chance to win. His promotion to Seeker had caused a series of changes in the team. His position as Chaser had become available and Georgi Popovich who had been their Keeper the year before had taken it, leaving his old position open, which was now occupied by Miriam Blum. She had stepped down as the Gryffindor captain to coach her own team in the new competition, and Chris Giacometti had taken over. Yuri hadn’t quite gotten used to Chris being the leading figure on the team yet. He was a good player, there was no doubt about that, but Yuri had never been able to figure him out properly, despite the fact that they’d known each other since Yuri had joined the team in his second year of school. Chris was a close friend of Victor’s, which made it almost impossible for Yuri to not spend time with him every now and then. And yet, there was something about him that made Yuri feel uneasy. He usually told himself that what irritated him was Chris’s tendency to flirt unabashedly with anyone and whenever he saw the possibility. Maybe it was because it was an open secret that there was some history between Chris and Victor that exceeded friendly camaraderie. And Victor was as much of a brother to Yuri as he’d ever had. An incredibly annoying, prone to dramatic overreaction, ever too cheerful brother – but a brother.

Yuri would never admit this to Victor, but he didn’t want him to get hurt in any way. Partially because he knew the shoulder Victor would cry on (loudly and at length) was his.

So maybe it was just that Yuri worried Chris might hurt Victor’s feelings.

He hadn’t wasted too much thought on this in the past few weeks, though. Chris turned out to be a good team captain who had the best interests of his team at heart. His colourful descriptions and similes for manoeuvres he wanted them to fly were something to get used to, but they got the job done.

Yuri couldn’t suppress an amused little grin when he compared Chris’s leadership style to Otabek’s. True, both managed to motivate their teams, but that was where the similarities ended. Yuri had found, to his surprise, that he enjoyed training under Otabek Altin. He hadn’t known him well before he asked him to join his team. He was a sixth year Ravenclaw which meant they had no classes together. From watching Otabek play Keeper in previous seasons Yuri had won the impression that he was a determined and ever concentrated player. The same was true about his coaching. He wasn’t someone who liked to talk a lot and he made clear what he wanted the team to focus on in few, well chosen words. There was a sense of calm radiating off of him that Yuri found encouraging in training. He had to admit he found it remarkable how Otabek was able to convey his passion for Quidditch despite his brooding manner.

He was shaken out of his contemplation by Victor, who had been sitting with the team but now stood next to Yuri. “Good luck today, I know you’ll do great,” he said.

“I won’t need luck. I just need to play well,” Yuri retorted.

Victor shrugged and left without another word.

Chris had also stood up and signalled for the team to follow him. It was time to go to the changing rooms. A quick glance at the Slytherin table confirmed that their team was on the move as well. A large group of Gryffindors followed Yuri and the others across the Hall.

When they passed the Ravenclaw table Yuri spotted Otabek, who gave him the thumbs up.

A few minutes later, when they had changed into their crimson Quidditch robes, Chris took Yuri to the side.

“Remember, people will be surprised to see you play Seeker. A lot of them will be disappointed – they’d rather see Victor. Ignore them.” Yuri didn’t need to be told people wanted Victor. It didn’t matter. Now was his time and he would show the audience that he wasn’t going to be flying in Victor’s shadow for long.

“By now the Slytherin team have probably found out about our change in line-up. But even if we can surprise them, don’t think we have an advantage over them. You’ve seen Leroy play, so keep your eyes on him, as we’ve discussed, and focus on catching up if he sees the Snitch before you do. Also, he’s dating the commentator so don’t let her get to you if she gets mean. She’s Ravenclaw but I guess she’ll still favour him over you.” Yuri sighed, irritated.

Chris turned to the rest of the team. “Gryffindor have won the House Cup five years in a row. Some will say that was because of Victor, but we all know that Quidditch is a team sport. Victor is an excellent player but he couldn’t have won any games if the rest of the team hadn’t been good as well. Just because he’s decided to leave, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a chance to win. I want that Cup and today is our first step towards it, so let’s go out there and show them that Gryffindor doesn’t depend on one single player to win!”

They went out onto the pitch, their brooms in their hands, determined expressions on their faces.

Yuri blocked out the noise from the audience. Chris and the Slytherins’ captain shook hands, and everyone pushed off the ground into the air. For a brief moment, Yuri saw the Snitch as it raced away towards the Gryffindors’ goalposts. Mr Cialdini released the Bludgers as well and threw the Quaffle high into the air before blowing sharply into a small whistle around his neck.

Leroy’s girlfriend immediately began the commentary, her voice magically amplified.

“Gryffindor take the Quaffle. Team captain Chris Giacometti passes to Babicheva. My name is Isabella Yang and I think we’re all equally excited to see how this first match of the season plays out!”

Yuri took off towards Gryffindor’s half of the pitch, scanning the area for the small golden ball. Out of the corners of his eyes he could see Leroy do the same, several feet to his right.

“Babicheva ducks a Bludger, loses the Quaffle – it’s caught by Slytherin’s Jarrett Kingston who passes it on to Auren. They pass the Seekers, JJ Leroy and Yuri Plisetsky. Now, let’s talk about that for a moment! Plisetsky is making his debut as Seeker and I know you’re all wondering – where is Victor Nikiforov?”

Yuri could feel the audience’s eyes on him as he soared higher, still in search of the Snitch.

“As Gryffindor captain Giacometti confirmed just before the match, Nikiforov will not be playing for Gryffindor this year.”

Yuri could hear the combined murmurs of surprise from the audience. He wished Yang would go back to talking about the Chasers.

“So Plisetsky is taking over– let’s see how he does today. All I know is JJ Leroy is much more experienced as a Seeker and won’t be an easy opponent for Plisetsky. And now here is the first opportunity to score for Slytherin as Kingston heads for the goalposts. He ducks a Bludger – throws the Quaffle – and it’s caught safely by Gryffindor Keeper Blum.”

Leroy suddenly went into a sharp dive, and Yuri followed, hectically trying to find the Snitch in the direction they were flying.

“Seekers go after the Snitch, Leroy in the lead – dodges a Bludger – Plisetsky catching up – what’s that? Leroy slows down and turns. Plisetsky looks rather confused, if you ask me. Has he fallen for a bluff? I can’t see the Snitch anywhere, and apparently the Seekers haven’t actually spotted it either.”

Yuri groaned. He was sure he knew what had happened. The Snitch must have been somewhere close to him. Leroy had seen it and taken off in the opposite direction to make sure Yuri followed him away from the Snitch. It was one of the oldest tricks in the book and he should know better than to fall for it so easily. Leroy smirked at him as he flew past.

Yuri was more determined to win than ever. He would not allow Leroy to make him look stupid again. He circled the pitch, his eyes darting around restlessly, but the Snitch was nowhere to be found.

The match went on for almost half an hour in which both teams scored several times. Once, Yuri saw the Snitch and came within inches of catching it, but lost sight of it when he was forced to do a quick sideways roll to avoid both Bludgers that were aiming at his head.

“After this close call Plisetsky seems to have lost the Snitch,” Yang commented to loud applause from the Slytherin supporters for their Beaters.

“Slytherin in the lead with forty to thirty now, and Keeper Seung Gil Lee fends off another Quaffle – Slytherin now in possession of the Quaffle, and Chaser Auren speeds across the pitch – pass to Greer – Blum has to dodge a Bludger sent by Beater Croewn – Slytherin score!”

And then, Yuri saw it again and he felt his stomach lurch. The Snitch was hovering close to the Slytherins’ goalposts, halfway between the ground and the hoops. Leroy was closer than Yuri by a lot and if he realised Yuri was going after the Snitch, Leroy would get there first. Yuri continued on his trajectory around the pitch, pretending to still be searching, heart hammering. Leroy still hadn’t spotted the Snitch.

Yuri flew towards the goalposts with moderate speed, until he was sure that he had a clear advantage. Then he accelerated as fast as he could, ducking down low over his broom’s handle. When Leroy realised what was happening, Yuri had already stretched out his arm. His fingers closed around the ball with its tiny fluttering wings, and he turned around to grin at Leroy who had finally caught up to him. _So much for falling for other people’s tricks_ , Yuri thought, as Yang announced Gryffindor’s victory.

  

* * *

 

 

Mila’s weekend could not have been better.

After their win against Slytherin on Saturday, she had spent much of the day celebrating in the common room before reluctantly heading to the library in the evening to get some homework done. The next day she had practice for Frozen Lake scheduled in the afternoon and after a successful session, fuelled by the Gryffindor’s victory, Sara had come up to her in the changing room to talk to her.

“I just wanted to say you played really well yesterday. You, Chris, and Popovich make a good team,” she said.

“Thanks,” Mila replied, a smile spreading across her face. “We’ve played together for years now so there’s really no excuse not to be good.”

“I guess that’s true.” Sara sat on the bench next to her. “Still, I hope I’ll fit in with you and Chris as well as Popovich does soon.”

“I don’t doubt that you will. I wanted to say this for a while, but you have a real talent for finding your place in a team, you know? When you and your brother play together it’s almost impossible to follow as an observer. With Victor gone I think Ravenclaw have a real shot at the Cup this year.”

Mila was surprised to see a pained expression on Sara’s face.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Did I say something?”

Sara shook her head. She watched the others leave the changing room and remained silent for a while.

“Sara?” Mila turned to face Sara more directly to see what was going on with her.

“It’s nothing,” Sara said.

“Oh. Alright.”

“Actually, it’s my brother.” Sara wasn’t looking at her as she spoke, staring at the wall opposite the bench they were sitting on. “He’s constantly worried about me even when there’s nothing to worry about. I can’t go to Hogsmeade with friends without him snooping after me to see if I’m secretly meeting boys. At the dance last year I couldn’t get a date because of him. I actually went and asked someone but he said it wasn’t worth pissing off my brother. I get that he wants to protect me but I feel like he’s suffocating me.”

“Whoa.”

Mila had not expected this. She had noticed that Sara had come to the dance alone but she had no idea that her brother had been the reason why. Ignoring the small pinch of pain at the realisation that Sara had asked a boy to be her date, she said: “Have you told your brother how you feel?”

“Not really. I know it will lead to a whole big fight and so far I haven’t been motivated enough to start that discussion. I love my brother but do you know how glad I am that I’m on this team and he isn’t? This way I finally get to spend some time away from him without having to explain anything.” Sara laughed. “Anyway, I’m sorry for bothering you with this when all I wanted to do was congratulate you on the game.”

“That’s alright,” Mila said. “Victor would be so proud of us, hanging out, getting to know each others’ problems and all that.”

“Probably. Maybe next time you can tell me about your problems, then.”

Mila smiled. “I’m sure I can think of something.”

“Great. But now I really need to get to dinner, I’m starving.”

They left the stadium together and walked up to the castle, joking about Victor’s apparent obsession with the team mates getting to know everything about each other.

“It’s actually a bit weird, coming from Victor Nikiforov, don’t you think?” Sara asked as they reached the castle doors. “I don’t think I know anything about him other than that he’s in the seventh year, Gryffindor, usually plays Seeker, and cares a lot about his hair.”

Mila laughed at that last comment. “It’s true, he loves his hair. I guess I know him a bit more because we’ve played on the same team. We hang out every now and then. But I’m sure he knows more about me than I know about him.”  
Sara looked curious but didn’t ask any questions. They reached the Great Hall and went to dinner at their houses’ separate tables.

*

On Wednesday evening the following week, Mila returned to the Gryffindor common room after several hours of catching up on her homework in the library. After telling the Fat Lady the password she almost collided with Victor, who was on his way out. She let him climb through the entrance behind the portrait first while she rummaged in her bag for the practice schedule Victor had asked her to check. Their first match was coming up and he wanted the team to get as much practice time as they could. She held out the plan for him to take.

“Thanks,” he said. “Did you find any mistakes?”

“One or two small ones, but it should all work out now.”

“Great! It will be good to have a few longer training sessions.”

Mila nodded in agreement. She made to climb through the entrance to the common room but Victor placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

“Alright, that’s it,” the Fat Lady said and swung her portrait shut.

“So,” Victor said, “I was wondering, are you finally going to do something about Sara?”

Mila feigned surprise. “What do you mean?”

Victor looked at her like a father at a four-year-old who thought she could sneak biscuits to her room without him noticing.

“You like her, don’t you? Isn’t it time you did something about that?”

“Is it that obvious?” she asked in a quiet voice. She didn’t want Sara to hear the news from someone else.

Victor shook his head. “I don’t think anyone else on the team has noticed. But I like to think I’m good at picking up on these things.”

“Well, I hope you’re better at noticing things than you are at hiding them.”

Now Victor looked confused.

“I mean you and Yuuri Katsuki. You have a thing for him. I’ve been wondering what _you_ are going to do about _that_.” Mila grinned at him but Victor didn’t seem embarrassed at all.

“As it happens I’m on my way to meet him,” he said. “I’m tutoring him in nonverbal spells, so I think it’s fair to say that getting the person I like to spend time with me is not one of my problems.”

Mila sighed. How could she have thought Victor Nikiforov wasn’t already on the move if there was someone he liked? He was someone who usually got what he wanted. In fact, if she remembered several overheard conversations in classes and girls’ bathrooms correctly, he could have picked from a long list of potential dates. Unfortunately for them, Mila knew that Victor didn’t have the slightest interest in any of them.

Last year, when Professor McGonagall granted permission to some students to organise an end-of-term ball, Victor had been asked to the dance by more than one hopeful female classmate. In the end he had asked Mila to go with him, and they had had a fun evening, safe in the knowledge that neither of them would ever have more than friendly feelings towards the other.

Apparently, Victor had been thinking about the same thing. “Think about it – wouldn’t you rather go with her to the ball this year?” he said, stuffing the practice plan into his pocket.

“There’s going to be another ball?” Mila asked and couldn’t quite hide the alarm in her voice. Victor chuckled. “You didn’t hear this from me.” He turned to leave, then added: “Seriously, though, last year was fun but you know who I’m asking this year.”

 

* * *

 

 

For their third tutoring session, Yuuri arrived at their usual classroom first. He flicked his wand at the lamps for light and carried a stack of his school books to the teachers’ desk in the front of the room. With all the Quidditch practice he had now that Hufflepuff’s game against Ravenclaw was right around the corner, it was close to a miracle that he had managed to make time to work on nonverbal spells as well. He had gotten a lot better at summoning them without speaking. During their second meeting he had managed to summon over half of the books to him all the way, even when he and Victor were standing on opposite sides of the room.

Victor had told him all about Quidditch summer camps in Russia, where he had first met Yuri Plisetsky. Yuuri still wasn’t sure what it was that made Victor want to talk to him about these private matters, but he wouldn’t complain. He had been right in thinking that Victor was more interesting as a person than as just a Quidditch player, and he liked the thought that they were becoming friends.

When Victor arrived, he apologised for being late, although he was right on time. “I ran into Mila and she gave me the training schedule back. She checked it for mistakes. Looks like we’ll get quite a lot of practice time in before our first game.” He picked up a book and Yuuri summoned it with relative ease.

“You know,” Victor said after Yuuri had summoned every book on Victor’s side of the room, “I think we should move on to more complex spells.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I think we should do some self-defence. Duels are what nonverbal spells are really used for, so we should go in that direction. How about you try and stun me?” A small smile flashed over his face, as if he was laughing at some private joke Yuuri didn’t understand.

“If I do it correctly you’ll fall down,” Yuuri said, sceptically eyeing the stone floor.

“No problem.” Victor took out his wand and pointed it at the desk in front of him, transforming it into a gigantic fluffy pillow. He stood in front of it, facing Yuuri, and let himself fall backwards.

“Perfectly safe. Go ahead. Stun me, Yuuri,” he said and got up, pulling his hair back into a ponytail. _Now that’s stunning_ , Yuuri thought. He shook his head, aghast at his own thoughts, and pointed his wand at Victor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep coming back to Victor's hair, I hope that doesn't bother anyone :D  
> Next chapter will (probably) be up on the 6th.  
> Also, how do I get rid of the extra notes at the end of the chapter? That "what do you think"-comment was only supposed to be there for chapter one but now it keeps coming back...


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late upload!  
> I was feeling a bit under the weather and couldn't write as much as I'd planned over the weekend.

The week following the season’s opening match passed faster than Yuuri would have liked. Hufflepuff’s game against Ravenclaw was scheduled for the following Saturday, and the closer it got, the more nervous he became. Although he generally performed well in practice, every time he thought of the way Plisetsky had tricked Leroy in the last game, he felt a worry grow in the pit of his stomach. Leroy was a good player, there was no doubt about it, but Plisetsky had shown creativity and a true understanding of the game. His flying was inspired, and Victor had told Yuuri that Plisetsky worked hard to achieve his ambitions of playing on a professional team one day.

Yuuri couldn’t quite suppress the thought that he was nowhere near as good as Plisetsky. Despite the fact that he would only face him directly in the spring, when Hufflepuff would play Gryffindor, Plisetsky’s prowess intimidated Yuuri.

The Ravenclaw Seeker, a seventh year girl called Jaya Singh had played well the previous year, and Yuuri was sure that the Ravenclaw team were highly motivated these days. Victor leaving the Gryffindor team meant that the other Houses were more eager than ever to win the cup. Yuuri’s stomach turned at the thought of disappointing all of Hufflepuff by losing them their chance at the cup.

He didn’t see Victor for nonverbal spell practice all week. Yuuri insisted he had to focus on Quidditch, and Victor didn’t protest. As the week progressed, Yuuri found himself wishing he could confide in Victor and tell him how nervous he was about the upcoming game. After training on Thursday he was torn between asking Victor for a word and ignoring his wish to talk to him. When the others left the changing room he shot occasional glances at Victor who was neatly folding his Quidditch robes and putting them in his bag. Now was his chance to say something.

But what would he say? _Victor, I’m terribly nervous, please calm me down._ No.

He would have to face his nerves on his own. He followed his team mates outside and up to the castle, fists clenched and thoughts racing.

*

On the morning of the game, Yuuri couldn’t eat. He waited until his team mates had finished their breakfast and then walked to the stadium with them. Holly Rutherford, their captain, held a short speech to get them excited and motivated, but Yuuri could barely hear it.

When they stepped onto the pitch the noise from the audience felt like a solid wall he had walked straight into.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be okay,” Yuuri heard Phichit say in his ear. He was grateful for his friend’s words and his hand on his shoulder. He nodded.

The players and Mr Cialdini mounted their brooms, and pushed off the ground.

“Ravenclaw immediately take the Quaffle,” Isabella Yang announced through her microphone. “Chaser Michele Crispino is already on his way to the goal posts, followed by his sister Sara and third Chaser Anya Skripova.”

Yuuri began flying circles around the field, in search of the Snitch.

“Ravenclaw score!”

Loud cheering from the Ravenclaws in the audience accompanied Yang’s announcement. Yuuri cursed under his breath. They were less than two minutes into the game and Ravenclaw was already in the lead.

“Hufflepuff Chaser Chulanont now with the Quaffle on his way across the field – pass to Ross… who loses the Quaffle to Skripova. Pass to Sara Crispino – pass to Mickey – who passes back to Sara. She takes a shot… and Hufflepuff Keeper Hopkins catches the Quaffle.”

This time, the Hufflepuff supporters cheered for their Keeper.

Yuuri’s heart hammered in his chest, much faster than necessary. He told himself to calm down, to just fly like he did in practice, but he could feel the audience’s eyes on him like tiny needles prickling on his skin.

“Score for Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw now in the lead fifty to twenty. And Sara Crispino is flying the next attack, backed up by Skripova and Crispino-“

A loud, simultaneous groan from the Ravenclaw fans had Yuuri turn his head to see what was going on.  
”Bludger by Leo de la Iglesia forces the Ravenclaw Chasers to leave formation and drop the Quaffle,” Yang explained. “The Hufflepuff Beaters seem determined not to let Ravenclaw score again! Hufflepuff captain Ross now on her way to the goalposts – dodges a Bludger – dodges Keeper Altin – and score for Hufflepuff!”

Yuuri had still not caught the slightest glimpse of the Snitch. Twice, he feared that Singh had spotted it before him, but once she was distracted by a Bludger, and the other time, she might have been bluffing.

“Skripova now with the Quaffle – to Sara – to Mickey – back to Skripova – I have to say, people, the Ravenclaw Chasers are in top form – pass to Sara – and again to Mickey Crispino, who promptly scores, well done! Ravenclaw now seventy to thirty in the lead, and Hufflepuff Chaser Ross grabs the Quaffle. She passes to Rutherford – pass to Chulanont – OW!”

Again, loud groans from the audience made Yuuri turn around.

“Keeper Otabek Altin takes a Bludger right in the stomach, is he – HE FALLS!”

Yuuri saw one of the Ravenclaw Beaters dive after Altin as he slid off his broom. She managed to catch him but he was a lot heavier than her and both players tumbled to the ground.

Several yells of “Foul!” came from the Ravenclaw stands but Yuuri could see Cialdini shake his head as professor Hughes, the Transfiguration teacher, summoned a stretcher for Altin out of thin air.

“Altin is out of the game after this accident. No, this was not a Foul! The Chasers were near the goalposts so it was perfectly legitimate of Beater Guang-Hong Ji to attack here. And as you can see he has landed next to Altin to speak to him. It seems like Altin will be taken up to the hospital wing – yes, he is floated off the pitch – and it looks like everyone is ready to continue now, including Beater Joyce, who so heroically caught Altin and in all likelihood prevented further injuries! If I remember correctly, she’s a third year, so no surprise that she couldn’t carry Altin, who, as some of you may have noticed, has built up his muscles over the summer! Right – reserve player Hilbert takes her position at the goalposts and the game continues, Ravenclaw in possession of the Quaffle.”

The Ravenclaw team was noticeably shook after losing their Keeper, and Hufflepuff managed to reduce Ravenclaw’s lead to twenty points. Meanwhile, Singh seemed more determined than ever to catch the Snitch and end the game before Hufflepuff had the chance to score any more goals. Yuuri kept a close eye on her while simultaneously looking for the Snitch himself.

He spotted it when one of the Ravenclaw Chasers missed the left goal hoop by an inch and the Ravenclaw fans made their disappointment heard. The Snitch was making its way along the edge of the field on Yuuri’s right. He went for it and almost collided with Singh, who came shooting towards the ball like one of those space rockets Yuuri remembered learning about in last year’s Muggle Studies class.

“Katsuki swerves past Singh – Singh now in the lead for the Snitch but Katsuki is catching up – he ducks a Bludger sent his way by Thompson – no hesitation on Singh’s side though, she barrels through the Hufflepuff Chasers who seem to want to block her – Katsuki now way behind… AND SINGH CATCHES THE SNITCH! Ravenclaw win two hundred twenty to fifty points!”

Yuuri had to fight back angry tears as he landed and quickly walked towards the changing rooms. The stadium was filled with cheers and applause for Ravenclaw.

He had lost. If only he hadn’t swerved around Singh, if only he had been more focused on winning.

He was the first in the changing room and he tore off his Quidditch robes in a hurry, stuffing them into his bag. When the rest of the team arrived, he was almost out of the door.

“Yuuri, wait!”

He turned, reluctantly, halfway through the room. Holly came over to talk to him.

“Yuuri, are you okay?” she asked, a concerned look on her face. He stared at her. Was this a joke?

“Look, it would have been better if we’d won, but you’re not blaming yourself, are you?” Holly didn’t seem to understand.

Yuuri swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. “I should have caught the Snitch. I saw it first, I messed up.”

Holly shook her head. “Maybe you could have handled that situation differently, but who knows if you would have gotten to the Snitch before her, even then. You’ll catch it next game and it’s all fine. If Ravenclaw lose a game and we win our other two games we still have a chance at the House Cup, so don’t be so hard on yourself!”

Yuuri nodded without really listening just so that she would let him go.

He walked up to the school, careful to maintain as much distance as he could between himself and the groups of spectators who had watched the game and were on their way back to the castle. His anger at himself ebbed away as he walked. Instead, he now felt intense disappointment that made him feel heavy and sluggish.

He didn’t want to go to the common room, where he would have to face everyone else’s disappointment as well. Slowly, he made his way up the marble staircase and through the school, until he reached the Owlery, where he hoped to be alone. Although he had never had a pet owl and seldom sent letters, Yuuri had come to like the Owlery. It was almost always deserted, save for the birds who lived there, and he found their presence calming.

He walked around, the owls’ feathers rustling over his head. Most of them were sleeping, heads hidden under wings. He wished he had thought to bring some treats.

Every now and then, an owl came flying in through the glassless windows, returning from delivering somebody’s mail. Yuuri walked over to one of the windows and looked out at the school grounds. It was chilly up here, and he stood leaning against the wall as opposed to directly in front of the window. From up here, everything looked peaceful. The trees of the Forbidden Forest swayed in a light breeze, but the Lake’s surface was smooth. Yuuri could still see some people walking back to the school from the Quidditch stadium.

He didn’t want to think about them and what they might think of him.

He turned his back to the window, just in time to see the Owlery’s door open. For a split second he felt resignation at the thought of having to abandon his place of solitude now that someone had decided to pick this exact moment to send a letter. Then he saw that the person who had opened the door was no other than Victor.

“I thought I might find you here,” Victor said, closing the door behind him. “Good thing you told me you liked this place. Otherwise I wouldn’t have thought to look here.”

Yuuri didn’t feel like talking.

“Wow, you’re really not happy, are you?” Victor stood next to him by the window and looked out as well. “I can understand that. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Yuuri shrugged. How could he even begin to explain that he was really not feeling okay? How could Victor the Quidditch champion ever understand how he felt right now?

“Yuuri, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking to me?”

Out of the corners of his eyes Yuuri could see Victor looking at him, and he kept staring straight ahead, trying to ignore him.

“Come on, Yuuri, there’s really no reason to be this upset. You lose games, you win games, that’s just how it is.”

“We should have won.”

Victor laughed. “Sure, that’s what everyone always says.”

“No, I mean it,” Yuuri said. “If I hadn’t messed up, if I had been more focused, we would have won. It was my fault we lost.”

Victor had stopped laughing. “Seekers typically bring in the most points and get blamed the most when a team loses. Are your team mates angry at you?”

Yuuri shook his head. “Holly said not to be so hard on myself.”

“So why are you?”

Yuuri took a deep breath. He still couldn’t see how Victor would understand, but he didn’t seem to be pleased with vague answers.

“I know I can fly better than this. I was so nervous that I couldn’t concentrate. I shouldn’t have let myself get distracted by my own nerves. So it _is_ my fault. I could have caught the Snitch if I had been more decisive and less worried.”

Victor was quiet for a moment.

“I understand,” he said.

Yuuri couldn’t help but look at him in surprise. “How? I don’t think you’ve ever had confidence issues.”

Victor shook his head. “That’s true, I don’t exactly lack confidence. But I can understand that you’re struggling with this and I can see how much it’s bothering you. Maybe I can help you. If you want me to.”

“How?”

“I’ll figure something out. I’m sure I can get you to trust in your abilities more. You’re a good Seeker, Yuuri, I wouldn’t have asked you to join my team otherwise. You just need to learn to see yourself the way I see you.”

A brief silence followed. Victor was fiddling with his hair again, tying a new ponytail. Yuuri watched a large bird that was circling over the forest. He replayed Victor’s last sentence in his mind and felt a prickling in the tips of his fingers that he normally associated with nervousness but couldn’t explain now.

“How do you see me?” He asked, his voice quieter than he had thought, his eyes still fixed on the bird in the distance.

“I see you as someone who wants so much and who can achieve it all. Maybe you’re too uncertain, or too insecure, to give it everything you’ve got now, but I know you have the potential to play professional Quidditch once you’ve graduated. I’m certain that you can do anything you want, you just have to believe it.”

Yuuri looked at Victor, who smiled at him, his face open and honest.

“Thank you.” Yuuri stepped forward and hugged Victor tightly for a few seconds. He didn’t know what to make of his words but he felt intense gratitude for them.

*

Yuuri returned to the common room not much later. After he had hugged Victor it seemed like there was nothing more to be said. He left soon after and walked through the school to the corridor close to the kitchens, where the entrance to the Hufflepuff basement was hidden. He went straight to his dormitory to grab some homework and head to the library to get some work done.

When Phichit spotted him on his way through the common room, he followed him to their dormitory.

“Where have you been? I was worried you might not be feeling too well.”

“Owlery,” Yuuri said. “I didn’t feel like being around people but I’m alright now. Victor actually came to talk to me.”

“And he managed to cheer you up? Impressive!” Phichit sat on his bed, watching Yuuri rummage through his chest of drawers in search of his Potions book.

“He offered to help me with my confidence issues. I told him that I get nervous playing important matches and he seemed to actually understand.”

“He seems to really like you,” Phichit said. “You’ve been hanging out a lot lately. Not that I’m jealous, I won’t let anyone kick me off my post as best friend that easily.”

They both laughed. “Don’t worry,” Yuuri said, “you’re not being replaced. We really haven’t been hanging out that much.”

“Good,” Phichit said. “So how much do you like Victor?”

“What do you mean?” Yuuri asked.

Phichit was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

“I’ve just noticed that every time someone mentions his name, you smile. So are you two just friends or…?”

“Or…?” Yuuri asked, feigning ignorance.

“…Or something more romantic?” Phichit finished the sentence. He laughed at Yuuri’s shocked expression. “Come on, there’s nothing wrong with it, if that’s what it is.”

“I know there’s nothing wrong with it,” Yuuri said, practically crawling into the drawer to hide his face. “But we’re just friends, okay? He’s my coach, we get along, that’s all.”

“Alright, if you say so.” Yuuri could tell Phichit was grinning without looking at him.

 

* * *

 

 

Yuri spent most of the day after the Quidditch game in the Gryffindor common room doing homework, but he found that he couldn’t quite concentrate on his essays.

Mila dropped a stack of books and papers on the table next to his own things and sat in a chair opposite him. “You don’t mind, do you?” she asked. He shook his head.

For a few minutes, they both worked in silence.

“You seem distracted,” Mila commented and Yuri realised he had been staring into the middle distance for a while. “Are you worried about Altin? You’re on his team, right?”

Yuri shrugged. “He’ll be fine, I guess.”

Mila raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure he will be, but why don’t you go visit him to see for yourself? It’s not like you’re getting any work done anyway.”

Yuri thought for a moment. She had a point, his essay on dark creatures of Australia and New Zealand hadn’t progressed much in the last half hour. If he saw that Otabek was fine and ready to coach his team for their upcoming game, maybe he would have an easier time concentrating on his homework.

“Fine,” he said and stood up, collecting his things from the table. He dropped them off on his bed in the dormitory and then left for the hospital wing.

Otabek was the only one there, sitting up in one of the beds, most of him hidden under a clean white blanket. He looked surprised to see Yuri.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” Yuri hurried to explain.

Otabek pointed to the chair next to his bed and Yuri sat on it.

“I’m alright,” Otabek said. “I’m supposed to stay here until Monday or Tuesday because of the internal bleeding, but my ribs are almost healed.”

Yuri nodded but felt slightly dizzy at the thought of broken ribs and internal bleeding.

“You look pale, are you alright?” Otabek asked.

“Don’t like hospitals,” Yuri said shortly. “If you’re out of here by Tuesday afternoon, are you fit for practice?”

Otabek nodded. “Of course. We’re not missing practice because of this.”

Suddenly, he looked angry. He saw Yuri’s questioning look and made a gesture that encompassed the room in all of its uncanny cleanliness. “It’s frustrating. I should have seen that Bludger coming. This is losing me so much time that I could have spent on homework or revising our training schedule. I made a mistake and it’s costing me.”

“Ravenclaw still won,” Yuri said. “Someone can bring you your homework. You’ll be back on your broom in no time.”

“I know. Still, I should have seen the Bludger. I didn’t realise what happened until I was already on the ground.”

“Accidents happen.”

“A Keeper who can’t protect the goals because he’s fallen off his broom isn’t worth much.”

Yuri shrugged. “The rest of the team played really well after you were knocked out. Singh caught the Snitch less than ten minutes later. It should be good to know the team still works when one player can’t continue.”

Yuri stopped talking. He could see that Otabek’s mood wasn’t going to be improved by anything he said.

They sat in silence for a long time, Otabek staring at the wall opposite, still with that frustrated look on his face, and Yuri wondering what he was still doing there.

When a group of Ravenclaws came to visit their Keeper, Yuri excused himself and left.

He walked through the castle slowly, thinking about what Otabek had said. He blamed himself for his accident. It seemed like he was more concerned about his team’s chance at victory than his own safety. Yuri had to admit he understood this position only too well. If he had been knocked off his broom by a Bludger, he would feel just as frustrated as Otabek.

*

The remainder of the weekend was, in Yuri’s opinion, quite boring. He did his best to motivate himself to do homework, but there was no Quidditch practice and he felt like a day without training was pretty much wasted.

The Gryffindor team had a short practice session scheduled for Monday afternoon, and Yuri decided to go and see if Otabek was still in the hospital wing before he headed out to the stadium.

When he got there, Otabek was sitting on his bed reading a book. He looked far less pale than he on Saturday and Yuri assumed that had something to do with his internal organs having been fixed. He cleared his throat and Otabek looked up from his book. For a split second, a grin spread across his face.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here again,” he said as Yuri walked over to the chair next to his bed.

“Just checking if you’re still here. Are you getting out tomorrow?”

Otabek nodded. “I have to stay another night but don’t worry, I’ll be at practice tomorrow.”

“Good,” Yuri said. “There are rumours about scouts from professional teams who might want to watch some games. We’d better play well.”

“I doubt anyone will come to the first games. No reason to slack off, though. I want to win this.”

Yuri nodded in agreement. “Yeah, me too. That would show Victor – I don’t need him to win.”

“You’ve proven that in your game against Slytherin. I hope beating Nikiforov isn’t your only motivation.”

“Of course not!” Yuri felt stupid for even mentioning it. “When I leave Hogwarts, I want to join a professional team. I need every victory I can get to get noticed!”

Otabek looked at him, his face unreadable.

“You’re serious about that?”

Yuri wasn’t sure if he was being made fun of. “I am. I’m dead serious and I _will_ succeed. Just you wait.”

“Good,” Otabek simply said.

“What about you?” Yuri asked.

“I’ll play professionally. I’ve decided that long ago and nothing will distract me from that goal.”

Yuri was impressed by Otabek’s determination.

The next day, he was back for practice and although he was not yet allowed to fly, he didn’t fail to get the team to train hard. Their first match was coming up in less than two weeks, and Yuri was sure everyone’s motivation to win was growing exponentially as they got closer to the date. Now that he knew that he and Otabek had the same goal, he felt like they had something in common and he was prepared to follow his instructions to victory. He couldn’t wait to prove himself on the pitch again and show everyone that he could be as good a Seeker as Victor one day, maybe sooner than anyone expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri is so dramatic in this chapter, poor guy. But I feel like he has every right to be - he's sixteen in this, so overreactions and drama are to be expected, right? :D


	5. Chapter 5

After training on Tuesday, when they were all lounging around in the changing room, too exhausted to hurry back up to the school immediately, Victor cleared his throat and clapped his hands to attract his team’s attention.

“As you know, the first game for the non-House teams is coming up on Saturday. I believe it would be a good idea for us to go watch it together as a team. Does anyone have other plans already?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Who do we want to win, though?” Mila asked. “Everyone’s got friends on all the other teams, right?”

“I suggest we cheer for both teams,” Victor said, looking around to see if anyone objected.

The team agreed and Yuuri felt a general sense of excitement in the room. Victor had previously explained that the outcome of the first game would affect their own tactics in important ways, since one of the teams was also the one they would be playing against two weeks later. Yuuri thought it to be a good idea to see the first game together as a team. It would strengthen their team spirit while also presenting Frozen Lake as a unit to the school.

“We want people to like our team _before_ they’ve seen us play,” Victor had explained just a few days previously. “Seeing that we get along well off the pitch will send a positive message, and the more people in the audience we have on our side for our first game, the better.”

Looking around the changing room now, Yuuri realised that he had gotten to know his team members quite well. He knew their favourite flying manoeuvres, who their friends were, which school subjects they were good in, and in some cases, what they liked to eat before matches. He knew that Victor, as the architect behind all the team-building exercises he had made them do, was very happy with this. Although he was their coach and not really a team mate, out of everyone involved in Frozen Lake, Yuuri felt closest to him. Somehow, there was always something for the two of them to talk about after training, or while they were supposed to be practicing nonverbal spells.

Thinking only a week back, when he had wanted so badly to reach out to Victor and ask for help, but didn’t dare to, Yuuri realised how much could change in such a short time. Today, Victor would start helping him with his confidence issues – at least that was the plan. How Victor planned to make Yuuri be less nervous before the next game, Yuuri had no idea. He was just glad his anxiety was no longer something he had to deal with alone.

“Yuuri, aren’t you coming to dinner?” Charlie, the only other Hufflepuff on the team, asked.

“Actually, Yuuri and I are doing a bit of extra training today,” Victor said.

Charlie shrugged and left with the others. Yuuri saw Mila raise a questioning eyebrow at Victor, who grinned back happily. Yuuri decided it was best not to ask what all that was about.

When everyone else had left, he followed Victor back out onto the dimly lit pitch.

They walked to the middle of the field and stood opposite each other. Yuuri was reminded of their nonverbal spell sessions.

“So, Yuuri,” Victor said, looking at him intensely. “Why do you think you get so nervous during games?”

Yuuri had no clue how to answer that question. He had noticed this tendency a lot, recently. With Victor, he often didn’t know what to say, and it made him feel even more insecure than he would have felt anyway. He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t have the same problem during training, so I suppose it has something to do with matches counting more. Either that or it’s the larger audience.” Victor looked at him, waiting to see if he was right.

“Sure, I guess that could have something to do with it,” Yuuri said. He felt strangely vulnerable, discussing these things. “Look, I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” he said. “If I knew what the problem is I could probably figure out the solution on my own. It’s nice of you to want to help me, but maybe being anxious is just part of playing Quidditch for me, you know?”

Victor looked disappointed but he didn’t seem willing to give up that easily. “Can we just try one thing? If you don’t like it we don’t have to continue.”

“I just don’t want you to waste your time.”

“I’m not wasting my time, trust me. Follow me, please?” Victor had gotten on his broom and kicked off the ground. Yuuri did as he was asked and hovered opposite Victor, ten feet up.

“Now put this on.” Victor took off his Gryffindor scarf and threw it over to Yuuri, who caught it and looked at it blankly. “Tie it over your eyes like a blindfold, please.”

“Can I ask why?”

Wearing a blindfold on a broom didn’t seem like the safest thing to do.

“Sure. I want you to trust me, Yuuri. I have an idea that it might help in the long run. Can you trust me?”

Yuuri hesitated for a second before he took off his glasses and stored them in his robes’ front pocket. He placed the scarf over his eyes and tied it at the back of his head so he couldn’t see anything but darkness. He noticed a familiar scent, and realised that it must be Victor’s.

“Can you see?” Victor’s voice came from his left, closer than he had expected. Yuuri shook his head no.

“We’ll fly together. I’m going to guide you.”

Yuuri felt Victor reach over and put his right hand over Yuuri’s on the broom handle.

“Ready?”

Yuuri swallowed hard. He was glad it was dark, even without the blindfold, so perhaps Victor wouldn’t notice the heat in Yuuri’s cheeks.

He felt a pull, and they were flying forward. The air pushed against his face, and Yuuri was certain they would fly into the stands any second. He held onto his broom tightly, trying not to panic.

“Relax,” Victor said into his ear. He felt him lean to the side, and they flew a wide turn. Yuuri concentrated on controlling his breathing.

They flew in silence for a while, following the bend of the pitch, then they picked up speed.

“How fast are we going?” Yuuri asked, a new wave of panic making his voice higher than usual.

Victor laughed. “If someone jogged alongside us at a leisurely pace, they would lap us easily.”

“That’s reassuring,” Yuuri said, fighting to keep his voice even.

“Do you really think I would let you crash into something?”

“No. But it’s scary to fly without seeing where you’re going. You wouldn’t be so calm if it was you wearing the blindfold.”

“Wanna bet?”

Yuuri felt a slight pressure on his hands from Victor, and he was sure they had stopped in mid-air.

“Let’s swap, then,” Victor said.

Yuuri took the blindfold off, not sure if Victor was joking. He held out his hand and Yuuri put the scarf in it.

“You’re right-handed. Would you mind coming over to my other side?”

Yuuri flew around him while Victor put the blindfold on. “I’m ready,” he said, still smiling and looking completely at ease.

Yuuri stretched out his right hand and placed it on Victor’s so he could control where they would fly.

They set off and Yuuri concentrated on steering them safely around the field. Every now and then, he allowed himself to glance over at Victor. He wasn’t smiling anymore, but he wasn’t complaining, either. In fact, the lower half of his face that was not covered by the scarf looked as though he was concentrating on a tricky task. After several minutes, however, Yuuri could see Victor visibly relax.

He flew a bit faster to see how he would react and was surprised when he saw him smile.

“Ready to swap back?” Victor asked after a few more rounds.

Yuuri brought them to a halt and Victor handed over the scarf.

With the blindfold back on, once again surrounded by the dark, Yuuri felt his heart rate pick up again. Victor guided him around the field slowly. When he had been the one being led by Yuuri, he had shown no sign of fear or hesitation. The image of Victor smiling with the scarf over his eyes, his posture relaxed despite the fact that he couldn’t see a thing, seemed to float through the darkness. How had he managed to relax? It had looked effortless.

But then, everything Victor ever did looked effortless. He was so confident that the world seemed to just bend to his will.

On the other hand, hadn’t Yuuri learned to see Victor as more than a glittering star, unreachable and unobtainable? Hadn’t Victor made himself vulnerable, letting Yuuri use the stunning spell on him and trusting him to safely guide him around the Quidditch pitch?

Victor was being so generous, helping him where he could.

It was time to open up and return the favour.

If he trusted Victor, if he believed that Victor would keep him safe while he was blindfolded, then there was no reason to be afraid, nothing to worry about.

Of course, deciding to not be scared was far easier than actually relaxing, but Yuuri realised that there were enjoyable aspects of flying this way, and he focused on those.

Victor’s hand on his was warm, the scent of his scarf was nice and familiar, and when he thought about it, flying without seeing was actually an experience worth having.

“Are you feeling alright?” Victor asked.

Yuuri nodded.

“You’re actually almost smiling. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.”

They came to a halt.

“It wasn’t. I trust you now, Victor,” Yuuri said. “I mean,” he added quickly, “not that I didn’t trust you before, it’s just… it’s different now.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Yuuri took the scarf off and saw Victor smile at him.

They landed and walked up to the castle together. Yuuri tried to pinpoint the feeling the last minutes of flying with Victor had triggered inside him. He felt strangely calm because there was a new certainty that he hadn’t felt before: Victor trusted him, and he trusted Victor.

 

* * *

 

On Saturday morning, Mila left the Gryffindor table with Victor and Chris to wait in the Entrance Hall until the rest of the team had finished their breakfast. They didn’t have to wait long, and as soon as everyone was present, they walked down to the Quidditch stadium together.

Mila looked around at the students walking along the path, chatting and laughing in anticipation of a good game. It had gotten cold over the past week, and their breath formed tiny clouds over their heads, but no one complained. Around Hogwarts, dry weather was good weather.

They were lucky and found a row roughly in the middle between the goalposts on both sides of the field, and they sat down together. Mila noticed Victor and Chris exchanging a glance and Chris taking the last seat to the right, so that Victor could sit between him and Yuuri. Mila sat next to him and smiled at Sara who took the next seat.

The teams marched onto the field from the changing rooms on opposite sides of the pitch, and Isabella Yang immediately began the commentary: “Hello and good morning, everyone! We’re here today for the very first game for the Hogwarts Cup!”

The audience cheered and clapped enthusiastically.

“And the teams are meeting in the middle of the pitch, coaches Anya Skripova and Miriam Blum shaking hands. As a reminder, this is the first game where players from different Houses play on the same team. Skripova’s team is going by the name Greenhouse Three – I’m sure professor Longbottom is delighted! They’re playing in green and yellow, going with the herbal theme, I suppose. And Blum’s team are the Great Hall Heroes, another great name! They’re the ones in purple and gold, also looking very handsome.”

The match began and Mila soon found that it was tremendously enjoyable to cheer whenever a goal was scored, no matter by which team. After the first few games, maybe as soon as this game ended, alliances would begin to emerge, every team looking out for themselves, but today was a different story. Large sections of the audience followed the same tactic as the Frozen Lake players, applauding for every well-executed manoeuvre by either team. Mila had never experienced Quidditch, normally a highly competitive sport, this way before. Everyone around her was in a good mood, and she was here with the team she belonged to. It was nice to sit with people who were not exclusively Gryffindor for a change – not just because that meant she could sit with Sara, but because she was truly enjoying the easy-going atmosphere. It was loud and maybe she was just imagining it, but the crowd looked more colourful to her than it usually did, despite the fact that it was cold and most people were wearing their dark winter robes.

Both teams played well, and in the end, Jaya Singh beat JJ Leroy to the snitch in a thrilling chase that had everyone in the audience on the edge of their seats.

“Greenhouse Three win!” Yang announced over the applause.

“Great game!” Sara said as they slowly made their way out of the stadium. Mila agreed. Then, because she was still so full of positive energy, she asked: “Hey, do you want to go to Hogsmeade? I haven’t been since last year…”

“Sure! Let me just go get my money.”

They made their way back to the school and Victor said “let’s do this again next week” before they split up to go to their Houses’ respective common rooms. Mila felt a pang of guilt when she saw Amal Hart, one of their Beaters and a fellow sixth year, head to the Slytherin common room on her own. She was the only Slytherin on the team and perhaps Mila should have invited her along to Hogsmeade to make her feel more included. On the other hand, the opportunity to spend some time talking to Sara alone was just too good, and Mila quickly forgot about Amal.

When she met Sara in the Entrance Hall twenty minutes later, however, her heart sank at the sight of Mickey, who was standing next to his sister and scowling. Sara didn’t look too happy either.

“See, Mickey?” she said, pointing at Mila. “I’m just going with Mila. We’re not meeting any boys, so can we please just go?!”

Mickey eyed Mila up and down as if to check that she really wasn’t a boy. Mila felt uncomfortable, and if the person looking at her this way hadn’t been Sara’s brother, she would have said something not very nice, or at least turned around and left in protest.

“Don’t drink too much,” Mickey said, having apparently decided that Mila was more or less safe company for his sister.

Sara scoffed. “You mean Butterbeer? Have you ever actually seen anyone get drunk on that? Just – mind your own business!”

She grabbed Mila’s arm and dragged her along, leaving Mickey behind.

“Sorry about that,” Sara said as soon as they were outside, and dropped Mila’s arm. Mila opened her mouth to say something but Sara interrupted her. “Let’s not talk about it. I was in such a good mood before, I don’t want that spoiled.”

“Alright. Where do you want to go?”

Mila could see that Sara was still annoyed at her brother, and she wondered why she let him treat her that way, but she knew it was none of her business.

“Honeydukes! I always go there whenever I’m in Hogsmeade, even if I don’t want to buy anything. I just love the smell, you know, all sweet and sugary.”

So they went to the sweets shop, where they spent a good amount of time making a game out of finding the most ridiculous product they could. The shop had a reputation for innovative sweets with surprising effects on the eater, and Mila found that whenever she visited Honeydukes, there were at least two or three new things on offer.

There weren’t as many Hogwarts students in the shop as on official Hogsmeade weekends, but it was still difficult to move around without knocking anything over or stepping on someone’s toes. Mila was looking at a display of tiny edible broomsticks that actually flew when she felt something cold and wet drop on her head.

She twirled around, her fingers already in her hair, and saw Sara double over with laughter.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” she said, still laughing. She stepped forward and effortlessly fished a gelatinous mass out of Mila’s hair. In her hand, it moved into the shape of a mauve-coloured egg.

“I just bought it. It’s called an omni-egg and they’re pretty cool actually. You can throw it at people and it guesses what food they crave. Here.” Sara broke open the egg, discarded the shell in a nearby bin, and took a smaller, round object from the egg’s centre. She broke that into two pieces, gave one to Mila, and popped the other in her mouth.

Mila had been watching the whole display, trying to catch up. Now she watched Sara chew and close her eyes, as she tried to figure out the taste of the egg.

“Definitely chocolate,” she said. “I’m glad, I was worried it might be roast chicken or something like that.”

Mila laughed and tried her half of the egg, which did indeed taste wonderfully like chocolate.

“It’s strangely warm, though, don’t you think?” Sara was still chewing attentively. “I think I’ve got it! Are you craving hot chocolate?”

“Always,” Mila said, enjoying the strangeness of chewing hot chocolate.

“Do you want to get a cup at the Three Broomsticks?”

“Good idea. But let’s get some of these first, I have a feeling we could have some fun with these with the team.”

Sara showed her where she had found the eggs, and Mila bought a pack for their team’s next practice session.

“Victor’s better not taste like Yuuri Katsuki’s lips or something,” she murmured, as she read the instructions on the packaging.

“Sorry, what?”

She hadn’t realised that Sara had been reading over her shoulder.

“Nothing,” she hurried to say, but from the wide-eyed expression on Sara’s face, it was clear she had heard her just fine. Mila felt herself blush. She rushed out of the shop, grateful for the cold November air hitting her face.

“Are they together?” Sara had caught up, and was evidently curious.

Mila shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Please don’t say anything to anyone! What was I thinking?! I can’t just run around outing people, jeez!” She couldn’t believe she had just said something like that. It wasn’t her place telling other people about Victor’s crush. How could she have been so negligent?

“Hey, don’t worry, I won’t say anything.” Sara laid a hand on her shoulder and looked at her with a concerned expression. “Really, I can keep a secret. Now let’s go for that hot chocolate, alright? You look like you need it.”

Mila let her drag her through the narrow streets to the Three Broomsticks, her thoughts still busy with her careless behaviour. She would have to tell Victor and apologise.

She let Sara find a table and sat down, feeling uneasy. Although she trusted Sara not to mention it to anyone, Mila was well aware of what she had done. Mentioning Victor’s interest in Yuuri was more than just gossiping about other people’s crushes – she wouldn’t get herself that worked up over that. But Mila didn’t want to think about what could happen to Victor’s Quidditch career if word got out about his feelings for Yuuri.

Sara returned from the bar with two large steaming mugs of hot chocolate. She sat down opposite Mila, frowning.

“Thanks,” Mila said, warming her hands on her mug and staring into it as if it had the answer for why she had suddenly turned into this person who went about threatening other people’s futures.

“Hey. Mila.”

She looked up to see Sara still with that concerned look on her face.

“I mean it, don’t worry. Just forget it. Trust me, okay?”

“Okay,” Mila said, but she didn’t feel much better.

They finished their drinks and went back to the castle. This was not how Mila had wanted the afternoon to go, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to relax until she had talked to Victor and apologised.

 

* * *

 

Due to the increased number of teams and games to be played, the Quidditch pitch was almost always booked these days. Yuri had not flown just by himself for over a month, and he was determined to change that.

Eager team captains and coaches had begun adding training sessions at the last minute, which meant that the stadium’s booking schedule was changing all the time. Yuri had been keeping an eye on it, and there was an empty slot just before dinner. When it started getting dark outside and no one had claimed the pitch, Yuri tossed his books into his dormitory without looking where they landed, and went down to the stadium.

The Slytherin team where leaving the changing room just when he arrived and he looked around suspiciously to see if anyone else was there to train solo. He saw no one, and felt almost happy. Finally, he had the chance to fly on his own and focus on exactly what he wanted to concentrate on. He had a few manoeuvres in mind that he knew he still hadn’t perfected, and there was never enough time to fly them more than a couple of times during team practice.

Yuri loved the feeling of being in the stadium alone, no one there to distract him or tell him what to do. He welcomed the wind that tore at his robes and tousled his hair. If he wanted to keep growing out his hair he would soon have to wear it in a ponytail during practice to keep it out of his eyes.

For the better part of an hour, he flew, working on dives and speedy turns that would certainly help him in his next game.

When he landed, his stomach growling, and thoughts of dinner on his mind, he saw that someone was sitting on the dark stands to his right.

“Hey!” he called to the dark figure. Was someone spying on him, trying to see what he was practicing?

The person on the stands stood up and came towards him, and Yuri saw that, once again, it was Otabek who had been lurking in the dark.

“Where you watching me?” Yuri asked, despite the fact that it was obvious that that was what Otabek had been doing.  
He nodded. “I didn’t want to distract you. So I didn’t say hello.”

“Do you live in the stadium or something? Why do I keep running into you here after dark?”

“I was going to get some practice in myself, but you beat me to it. I figured you’d rather not share the pitch so I watched instead.”

“You’re right, I don’t like sharing. I don’t much like people staring at me, either. Especially when I don’t know they’re doing it.”

“I apologise.”

Neither of them said anything while Yuri put his broom away, put out the lights in the stadium, and locked the door of the changing room on his way out. Otabek was following him silently and the thought crossed Yuri’s mind that he should be more annoyed by this than he was.

When they started walking up the path towards the castle, Otabek said “thank you, by the way.”

For a second, Yuri thought he had misheard him but a glance at his face told him he hadn’t.

“For what?” he asked.

“For visiting me when I was stuck in the hospital wing. And for understanding that being there bothered me.”

“No problem.”

Yuri looked away. People didn’t thank him very often. He didn’t often do things people would have to thank him for.

“We trained in the same summer camp once.”

Now he had to look at Otabek again, to see where he was going with this.

“We did?”

Otabek nodded. “After my second year here, after your first year. In Russia, with coach Feltsman. You kept insisting on playing Seeker, that’s why I remember you from there. You were a good player and I was impressed.”

Yuri remembered the camp, but had no recollection of meeting Otabek there.

“I was wondering – do you want to be friends?”

Otabek held out a hand for Yuri to shake, and he took it without hesitation, though baffled by the situation. He couldn’t remember ever having been formally asked to be anyone’s friend before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, orignially I had planned for the Hogsmeade visit to just be happy fun times, but then it kind of took a different turn. I had some ideas about talking about homophobia in sports anyway, later on, but I guess we're starting with that now. I don't think the wizarding world is free of homophobia, unfortunately.  
> Also, I know in the HP books students only go to Hogsmeade on certain weekends but I never really got why. So I decided that older students can go every weekend (if they want to) because it was convenient to have Mila and Sara go right after the Quidditch match :D


	6. Chapter 6

“Don’t worry about it.”

Mila stared at Victor blankly, not sure if he had misunderstood her. She had just confessed what she had said to Sara, that she had jeopardised his future in professional Quidditch by making an offhand remark.

“I feel terrible. I swear I’ll never say something like that again!”

They were sitting in the changing room at the edge of the Quidditch pitch, Victor on one of the benches, Mila on the floor, facing him. She had asked him for a word after training, and then waited until the rest of the team had left before telling him what she had done.

“I said don’t worry about it.”

Mila saw a spark of the anger she had anticipated flash over Victor’s face. Strangely, though, it seemed as if he was more upset by her string of apologies than by her indiscretion.

“Why not?” she asked. “I don’t think Sara will tell anyone but still, you know what kind of consequences this could have had if it had been someone else I mentioned it to.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Victor’s voice was controlled but she could tell that he was upset. He slumped forward and burrowed his forehead in the palm of his hand. She had never seen the glorious Victor Nikiforov look defeated like this. How could she have done this to him?

“Victor?” Mila didn’t know what to do. “Are you crying?”

“No,” he said, lifting his head and sitting upright again, “I’m not.”

For a while no one spoke. Mila didn’t know what to say other than that she was sorry and it would never happen again.

“I love Quidditch, you know?”

Victor was looking at her, speaking much more quietly than usual.

“I know,” she said.

“No, I really love it. There’s nothing else I want to do after Hogwarts. Quidditch is my _life_. So when things like this happen I’m reminded that there are forces – people – out there who would want to keep me from playing if they knew me for who I am. That makes me angry. And I know I should worry about this but I refuse to. I’m a good player. Actually, I’m fantastic. There _will_ be a team that will take me after Hogwarts, no matter who I spend my time with off the pitch. Mila, I never planned to hide. There are out players these days, I wouldn’t be the first.”

Mila swallowed back against the lump in her throat. She had known Victor for years now, longer than either of them had been in Hogwarts, and they had known about each others’ crushes for almost as long. But they had never talked about their plans for their futures and their careers like this.

“You’d be the first professional player who’s out _before_ he signs with a team.”

Victor shrugged.

“I don’t care. I’m not writing to the Daily Prophet to tell them the newest gossip about me, but I’m not adjusting my behaviour to suggest I am someone I’m not either. I told you, I’m asking Yuuri to the ball at the end of the school year. Of course he might say no for all sorts of reasons, but I’ll still ask.”

“You were serious about that, huh?”

Victor smiled now. “I’m always serious about Yuuri Katsuki.”

Mila laughed. The atmosphere felt a lot lighter all of a sudden, like sunshine after a heavy storm.

“You really like that guy, don’t you? What does Chris think about that?”

“Oh, Chris has his eyes set on someone, but I’m afraid I’m sworn to secrecy for now.”

Victor winked, his usual spark having returned to his eyes. “You’d better use this situation to figure out what Sara’s deal is, though.”

Mila looked at him confused.

“Come on, it’s simple, don’t you think?”

Victor was definitely his old self again, teasing her and determined to contribute to everyone else’s romantic happiness. “How did she react when you said… what was it again?”

She knew that he knew exactly what she had said, but given that she had wronged him, she decided he had the right to get some amusement out of the situation.

“ _Victor’s better not taste like Yuuri Katsuki’s lips_ ,” she murmured.

“Ah, right, that’s it! I should really remember that. By the way, when are you bringing those eggs to training? We need to see if your worries come to pass, don’t we?”

“I can bring them on Monday,” Mila said between clenched teeth.

“Wonderful.” Victor seemed to enjoy himself tremendously, knowing that she would let him tease her because she felt guilty. “Right, so how did she react when you said it?”

“What do you mean? She was surprised, I guess.”

“Sure, but what kind of surprised? Intrigued, appalled, delighted?”

“Just surprised. She didn’t seem to have a problem with it or anything.”

“That’s good. So when are you asking her out?”

“ _What?!_ I’m not asking her out! Just because she didn’t run away screaming when she heard that you like Yuuri doesn’t mean she… No! No way! You haven’t even asked Yuuri out so why should I ask her?”

Victor smirked, seeing Mila squirm in embarrassment. “I’m following a more subtle approach, but as you seem to have developed a talent for blurting things out, why not make that your tactic?” he asked, the most innocent smile on his face.

*

Over the course of the next few days, Mila’s relief over Victor’s easy forgiveness waned.

No matter how many times she reminded herself that he wasn’t mad at her, she couldn’t help but feel guilty, like she still had to apologise to him. She had already decided not to bring up the topic with him again, as it seemed like he was glad to leave it behind them.

It took her until Thursday afternoon to figure out what was bothering her, and how she might get rid of that feeling of guilt. She felt a nervous twist in the general area of her stomach when she sent an owl to Sara, asking to meet her in the library after the Gryffindor team’s practice that evening.

Training was hard that day, partly because Mila found it difficult to concentrate, knowing what she was about to do. Asking Sara out, like Victor had suggested, was out of the question. Still, now that she knew of Victor’s crush on Yuuri, she had to do something. Maybe, she thought, Sara had already forgotten about the incident, but it didn’t matter. Whether or not Sara was as affected by their trip to Honeydukes as she was, Mila needed to talk to her about it. It was entirely unfair that Sara knew about Victor but not about Mila. The only way to make herself feel better, and to make this all a bit more fair for Victor, was for Mila to come out to Sara.

When she went up to the library after training, Mila felt her heartbeat in her ears, loud and fast. She had never done this before, just announced this truth about herself to someone out of the blue. Thinking about it, the only person she had ever had actual conversations about it with was Victor. Mila had been sure that she liked girls, and only girls, for a while now, and Victor was the safest person she knew to talk to.

The subject had come up naturally when he had asked her to the ball the previous year. Of course he had known before then, but when he invited her to the ball, he had simply asked her. “Mila, do you like guys at all?” She had shaken her head, caught off guard by the sudden question. “Only girls, then,” Victor had said, and she had nodded. “Well, I guess we’ll never have to deal with liking the same person, then.” Victor had smiled at her, and she had smiled back, thankful and relieved that they had both finally confirmed what they had actually known for a long time already.

And now she was going to tell Sara.

Mila banished all thoughts of flight from her mind, walked through the library’s door, and spotted Sara sitting at a large table by a window to her left. She sat down opposite her, glad to see that there was no one else around this late, just before the library’s closing time.

“Hi,” Sara said, looking up from her essay. “What did you want to talk about?”

Mila gulped. _Let’s just do this quickly – no beating around the bush._

“Alright,” she said. “Remember last weekend, when I made a stupid remark about Victor?”

Sara nodded. “Sure, what about it?”

Mila took a deep breath and started talking quickly, not allowing herself to change her mind.

“Well, I don’t think it was fair. I’ve talked to Victor and he’s not mad, so that’s good, but I still feel bad about it, and I feel like I owe you, or him, maybe, something. Which is to tell you that I – that I like girls. I don’t like guys.”

She felt her face go red and she was sweating, but she had said it.

“Oh,” Sara said. “Okay.”

Mila blinked. That was it?

Sara busied herself arranging her writing equipment neatly on the table between them while Mila looked out the window at the stars in the distant sky.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t very nice.”

Sara was looking at her now, and Mila was surprised to see that her face was red, too.

“I should say something else, right? Thanks for telling me, I guess? I just… I mean, people don’t come out to me all the time, I don’t know how to react.”

Mila felt a second wave of relief spread through her, and she actually laughed.

“You’re doing fine. I’ve never really done this before, you know? Announcer style.”

Sara looked like she was deliberating something for a moment, and her cheeks turned even redder. “I think… I should follow your example and tell you something about me in return. The truth is, I don’t know.”

Mila looked at her, waiting for more, for Sara to confirm that she was saying what Mila thought she was saying.

When she didn’t continue, Mila realised she would have to give her a little nudge, just to make sure there wasn’t a misunderstanding in the making.

“You don’t know… what… exactly?”

“If I, you know, like girls.”

“Ah.”

Mila tried to make it sound as if she was receiving a piece of information that didn’t make her heart flutter with hope.

“I know I like guys,” Sara said. “I’m just not sure about girls. That’s stupid, right?”

“Of course not! Why would you think it’s stupid?”

Sara sighed. “It’s hard to describe. But I should know this about myself, shouldn’t I? How can I not know something like this about myself? And it’s not like I can just ask someone else. I have to figure this out myself.”

Mila nodded. She wondered, for a second, if she should take Sara’s hand. Not in a romantic way, just as a gesture of her understanding and her support.

She decided against it.

“You’ll be okay, you’ll figure it out. Don’t worry, okay?”

“I’ve never told anyone.”

“Well, I’m honoured,” Mila said, and felt a wave of affection for Sara wash over her. “I’m glad we could talk. If you ever want to talk again…” She laughed and pointed at herself to convey she would be there for her, without actually saying it.

They stayed a little longer, talking and pretending to be working on essays, until the library closed and they had to go. On her way back to the Gryffindor tower Mila replayed her conversation with Sara in her head. It appeared as though all her misbehaviour at Honeydukes had enabled her to talk to Sara about things she would have otherwise never addressed. How could this be? It looked as though Mila was experiencing a streak of luck, and she smiled to herself, vowing to make the best of it before it ran out.

 

* * *

 

Yuri found himself spending a lot of time with Otabek before their first game. In part it was due to all the extra training Otabek had ordered, determined to prepare his team as well as possible to increase their chances of winning. Additionally, Yuri often took his time changing back into his school robes and putting his broom away after practice, and he knew it was because he enjoyed talking to Otabek while he was doing it. Or maybe _talking_ to Otabek wasn’t the right formulation, Yuri thought, while he was once again lounging around the changing room for no apparent reason. They didn’t actually talk all that much. Mostly, they just sat in the same room, occasionally exchanging a few words.

When no other team had scheduled practice time directly after them, they stayed after the rest of the team had left, doing homework, talking about Quidditch, not really focusing too much on anything in particular. This was a recent development, but Yuri was adjusting to the new routine quickly. He realised that sitting in the changing room with Otabek helped him wind down after training. Although it was generally not easy for him to admit such things, even to himself, he knew that he was glad Otabek had asked him to be friends.

*

On Saturday, almost the whole school was present at the game once again.

Yuri was ready to play and felt confident about the team’s chance to win. They had been training a lot, and he knew everyone on the team was eager to prove how much they had learned since the beginning of the school year.

As always, Isabella Yang’s voice sounded through the stadium as the teams marched onto the pitch from opposite sides of the stadium. “Welcome to this second game in the first round of the Hogwarts Cup! Today we’ll see two more of our new teams competing, and I’m sure everyone is excited to see how they’ll do! The coaches now shaking hands are Florence Ross, usually Chaser for Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw Keeper Otabek Altin. Ross’ team are the Forest Creatures – nice name, and nice outfits, bronze with the player numbers in green. And Altin’s team are the Hippogriffs. Do Hippogriffs count as creatures of the forest? Can someone ask professor Suresh? Anyway, today we’ll see the Forest Creatures play against the Hippogriffs, who are dressed in black. Interestingly, they have chosen bronze as their second colour – another parallel to the Forest Creatures.”

Yuri was half listening to Yang jabber on about team colours and what they might mean, but he was more concentrated on seeing where the Snitch would go after Mr Cialdini released it.

“And they’re in the air! Chaser Michele Crispino takes the Quaffle for the Hippogriffs. It should be interesting to see how he does on a team without his sister Sara – he passes to fellow Chaser Chulanont of Hufflepuff-“

Yuri saw the Snitch zoom past Chulanont and went after it, the other Seeker, a third year Gryffindor, following him immediately.

They both missed the Snitch, having to dodge a Bludger, and Yuri lost sight of it.

“It looks like the Seekers have lost the Snitch,” Yang commented, unnecessarily. “Michelle Fairland of Gryffindor is the youngest Seeker in this competition, and she has the advantage of being small and quick. I’ve said this in previous games about her opponent today, Yuri Plisetsky, but today the size advantage goes to Fairland. I’ve been told Plisetsky has been practicing some new manoeuvres, though, so let’s see if we get to see some of those today.”

Yuri scoffed, more than ready to perform any or all of the manoeuvres he had added to his repertoire recently, but he would have to wait for the right opportunity. Something about Yang’s commentary was deeply annoying to him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about the way she had compared his body size to the other Seeker had made him uncomfortable. He tried to ignore most of her further commentary, only listening in to stay informed about the goal count.

 

* * *

 

 

Yuuri was following the game from the stands, together with the rest of the Frozen Lake team. It felt much like the previous game: everyone was in a good mood and most of the audience were cheering for both teams enthusiastically. Yuuri was sitting between Victor and Chris again. Victor was commenting on Yuri Plisetsky’s flying, complimenting his new style. Yuuri had to agree, Plisetsky was flying very well today, and he had almost caught the Snitch within the first minutes of the match.

Now he was circling the field, obviously looking for the small golden ball, threading through the other players elegantly.

“Goal for the Hippogriffs!” Yang called. “They’re now leading with sixty to thirty, thanks to their excellent team of Chasers. Chulanont and Rutherford play for Hufflepuff together, and as you can see, they play with Crispino very well. Excellent communication between them – I’m afraid the Forest Creatures’ Chasers aren’t quite on the same level yet, although Popovich has scored two of their three goals so far.”

Yuuri felt pride for his Hufflepuff team mates who were delivering quite the show, passing the Quaffle between each other with breathtaking speed, having evidently found a good way of incorporating Crispino in their team. He wondered how Florence felt. She normally played Chaser for Hufflepuff with them but was now functioning as the opposing team’s coach. Her team’s Chasers were currently fighting a battle they couldn’t seem to win.

The game lasted longer than any of the others in the season so far. Yuuri used the time to study Plisetsky’s flying as closely as he could, mentally going through ways of beating him to the Snitch when their teams would play against each other. Somehow there was more of a direct competition between him and Plisetsky than he felt with the other Seekers. He had beaten him in their first confrontation and gotten on Victor’s team, and Yuuri was sure Plisetsky would do what he could to avoid being defeated again.

Yuuri was enormously glad that he didn’t have to face him today, as he was sure that at this point in time, Plisetsky was the more confident, more elegant player. Yuuri would have to ask Victor to teach him the same moves he was seeing Plisetsky show off now, so that he could match him better. Again, he had to remind himself that their next direct confrontation on the Quidditch pitch was months away, after the season’s winter break.

“Plisetsky and Fairland in pursuit of the Snitch again!” Yang announced loudly, her voice filling the packed stadium. Yuuri leaned forward in his seat to better see Plisetsky fly a tight spiral around one of the other team’s Beaters, as the Snitch suddenly changed direction. Fairland was left behind and Plisetsky caught the Snitch almost casually, his hand securely closing around the small ball with ease.

The Hippogriffs had won, and deservedly so. Their Chasers had demonstrated a high level of skill, and Plisetsky evidently was a force to be reckoned with.

“That makes them the odds-on favourite,” Victor said. “But I think we can play just as well next week.” He flashed a cheerful smile at his team. Yuuri hoped he wasn’t the only one who felt more anxious than encouraged after that brief announcement.

He was making progress in his extra training with Victor, both in nonverbal spells and that other thing, whatever it was, that still involved him being guided around the pitch blindfolded. After his second time of flying without seeing, Yuuri had begun calling it “trust Victor”-training in his mind, but he made sure not to say that out loud. He wasn’t sure why exactly he needed an extra level of trust in his coach in order to feel more capable when he played, but he didn’t argue with Victor. Whether or not it would help in their game the following Saturday, he felt like he was getting _something_ out of their training. Even if he had not yet found a name for that something.

For the time being, he had decided, he would go along with Victor’s ideas, because flying with him filled him with that warm, relaxed feeling that he had already noticed after their first training.

*

During breakfast on Sunday morning Yuuri received a letter, delivered by an exhausted-looking owl. It sat on the table for a while before leaving for the Owlery, and when Yuuri opened the envelope he realised the bird must have come all the way from Japan.

 

_Dear Yuuri,_

_hopefully you get this before Wednesday! If not, happy birthday!_

_Mum and I are coming to see you over the weekend. Surprise! We wish we could be there on your actual birthday but you’re probably busy with school stuff anyway, right? So we’re staying in Hogsmeade over the weekend and you can play tour guide for us. We were thinking we could have a bit of a party Saturday evening – so invite some friends!_

_Mum is really excited! She wants to know if you want her to bring some of your Quidditch posters? I guess you won’t have time to answer before we get there…_

_Anyway, see you on Saturday!_

_Mari_

Yuuri smiled, happy to hear from his sister and excited about seeing her and his mother so soon. They had never visited him at Hogwarts before, but his seventeenth birthday was a special occasion, and spending it with part of his family would be great. He also liked the idea of showing them around the village and the castle so they could see where he lived for most of the year. Having a party, maybe in the Three Broomsticks, Saturday evening was not something he would have done without them suggesting it, but maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. He could invite Phichit and the rest of the Hufflepuff team and spend some time off the pitch with them. Thinking about it, he should probably invite the Frozen Lake team as well, including Victor. The thought of him meeting his mother and sister made him strangely nervous, but he was sure Mari would be delighted. She had always, half jokingly, said that the best part about Yuuri being as obsessed with Quidditch as he was, would be him introducing famous players to her once he started playing professionally.

Then he realised something that made his stomach sink. If his family had planned to arrive on Saturday, did that mean they would be there in time to watch him play?

Of course they had seen him train before, and play matches during summer camps, but an official game in the Hogwarts stadium was something else entirely. There was far more pressure to succeed, a larger audience – would they still support his dream of becoming a professional Quidditch player if they saw him lose on Saturday? Or would his parents come to the conclusion that it was time to stop paying for his training camps and his brooms, to tell him the moment had come to stop dreaming and start focusing on a more realistic career goal?

Suddenly, the prospect of seeing his family had turned into a source of stress and anxiety, and it made Yuuri sad that he was thinking about them that way. He needed to fix that before they got to Hogwarts and realised how stressed out he was about their visit. His mother and sister coming all the way to Scotland to visit him for his birthday was more than just a nice gesture. He knew it meant that they cared about him and wanted his seventeenth birthday to be special, so why couldn’t he just be grateful and excited about their visit? Why did he have to twist this nice surprise into something negative, something to be dreaded, in his mind?

Could he talk to Victor about this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's so much internal monologuing going on this chapter. I'm not sure if I like it.
> 
> It was important to me that, at this point, Sara isn't quite sure whether or not she likes girls. These characters are all pretty young and not everyone has it all sorted out at that age. I certainly didn't :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally managed to get a copy of 'Quidditch Through the Ages' from the library and I've read most of it by now. There was some stuff in there I didn't know, for example that there are no substiute players. I've decided to keep them in the story though, because I mentioned in earlier chapters that the non-House teams have one substitute each. I don't think it's that big a deal... sorry, Potter purists ;D

After long deliberating, Yuuri made the decision to ask Victor for help.

The prospect of his mother and sister visiting and seeing him play on Saturday made him so nervous he could barely sleep after receiving their letter. He thought back to Hufflepuff’s game against Ravenclaw and how much he had wished he could ask Victor for advice. Back then he hadn’t dared to talk to him about his anxiety, and Jaya Singh had caught the Snitch before he could get to it. The fact that, out of all the Seekers at the school, she was the one he would be facing on Saturday, only made his nerves worse.

There was no practice for Frozen Lake on Monday, only for the Hufflepuff team, so that Yuuri wouldn’t be seeing Victor unless he specifically looked for him. After training he went to dinner late and was glad to see Victor still sitting at the Gryffindor table.

Yuuri hurried to get his food down, so that when Victor stood up to leave, he could catch up with him halfway through the Entrance Hall.

“Victor!” he called out.

Victor turned around, his silver hair flowing around his shoulders in one fluid, elegant motion.

“Oh, hi Yuuri! Everything alright?”

Victor must have noticed the strained expression on Yuuri’s face, who was close to changing his mind to ask him for help.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” Yuuri lied. Victor looked at him, waiting to see what he had stopped him for. Yuuri couldn’t look at him. So he spoke to his feet instead.

“My family are coming to visit this weekend. I’m happy to see them but the though of them seeing me play on Saturday… I’m not sure I can handle it. Will you please help me?”

For a moment, Yuuri kept staring at his shoes, dreading Victor’s reaction. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked. What did this make him look like? Weak and insecure. Definitely not like someone who was going to catch the Snitch for his team on Saturday.

His breath hitched when he felt Victor’s finger under his chin, lifting his head so their eyes could meet.

“Of course I will,” he said quietly, earnestly.

“Oh. Good,” Yuuri mumbled. He noticed that Victor hadn’t moved his finger. He was sure people coming from dinner in the Great Hall were staring at them, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. The moment stretched, Victor smiling at him, his eyes remarkably turquoise and their expression soft.

“Why are your family coming to visit?” Victor asked, now removing his finger from Yuuri’s chin and instead lightly resting his hand on Yuuri’s shoulder.

It took Yuuri a moment to come up with the correct answer. “My birthday is this week,” he finally managed to say.

“Oh, really? When exactly is it? What should I get you?” Victor seemed genuinely excited, and Yuuri relaxed. “It’s on Wednesday, but you don’t need to get me anything. If you help me with my stuff, that’s more than enough.”

“Are you sure? How about some chocolate frogs? Or something else from Honeydukes?”

Yuuri shook his head and knew he was blushing. “Thanks, but I really shouldn’t be eating sweets right now. I gain weight easily. I need to stay in shape for the game, right?”

“Alright. I’ll think of something else then.”

Yuuri wanted to protest but decided to drop the topic.

“My mother and sister want to have a little party Saturday evening. You and the rest of the team are invited if you… don’t have better plans already.”

“Of course I don’t have better plans! I’ll be there and I’m bringing a present.”

*

They agreed to meet for some extra training the next evening after dinner so that Yuuri would hopefully feel better prepared for Saturday. They had to switch around some training times with other teams in order to make it work, resulting in several shorter practice sessions before their game, instead of the three long ones Victor had initially scheduled. When Yuuri realised how much hassle Victor helping him meant for everyone involved in the team, he tried to persuade Victor to drop it, saying he would manage on his own. Victor would hear none of it, though, and Yuuri was glad that he seemed to understand just how nervous he really was.

At the start of their extra training Victor had him fly drills, repeating the same manoeuvres over and over again until Yuuri was sure he could have flown them in his sleep.

“Feeling more confident?” Victor asked as Yuuri landed after his last set of steep dives. Yuuri nodded. He knew he was capable of flying these moves, and some of them might come in handy on Saturday. On the other hand, his flying skill had never been the true problem.

Victor seemed to read his mind. “We should move on to the trust-building exercise. We’ll start with the usual.”

They kicked off the ground and quickly rose into the air. Yuuri tied his own scarf over his eyes, and Victor started leading him through the stadium. The now familiar feeling of Victor’s gloved hand on his as he controlled both brooms made him feel calm and safe.

Even when Victor picked up speed and flew tight turns he knew that he was looking out for him, and wouldn’t let him crash into any obstacles.

“I feel like this is getting too easy for you,” Victor stated after a few minutes. “It’s time for the next stage. Keep the scarf on, I’ll guide you. Let go off your broom with your left hand but keep holding on with your right.”

Victor took his own hand off Yuuri’s, and Yuuri did as he was told, loosening the grip of his left hand. One-handed flying was something every Quidditch player had to be able to do, and Yuuri still had his dominant hand on his broom’s handle. Still, doing this blindfolded was a new experience and he worried about his balance for a moment while he lifted his left hand.

“Stretch out your arm to where I am.”

Yuuri did so, and was rewarded with Victor taking Yuuri’s hand into his.

“Ready?”

Yuuri nodded and Victor pulled him with him, once again flying through the stadium. It took a while until Yuuri had gotten used to this new way of blindfolded flying but he realised that, since he was used to Victor guiding him by now, it was easier than he would have expected. Victor held his hand firmly but gently, and for the briefest moment Yuuri wished they weren’t wearing gloves.

“You’re doing really well!” Victor praised him, and Yuuri smiled, satisfied with the level of trust he felt for his coach now.

“I think we should call it a day. We have more team training before the game so you’ll have more time to practice your manoeuvres. And you trust me, don’t you? Wait, don’t take it off just yet,” he added as Yuuri moved to lift the scarf from his eyes.

Victor pulled again and Yuuri felt himself dip forward, downward. He squeezed his eyes shut behind the scarf, hoping Victor would warn him in time before they reached the ground.

“Get your feet ready,” Victor said, and a few seconds later they landed softly on the grass. Yuuri got off his broom, not quite as elegantly as he would have liked to, but he still couldn’t see anything and he felt like not falling on his face was worth something.

He reached up for the scarf again, but Victor was quicker, carefully removing the blindfold from Yuuri’s head.

“Thanks,” Yuuri said, suddenly aware of how close Victor was standing to him as he placed the scarf around Yuuri’s neck.

“You’ll do great on Saturday. I know it. So don’t worry. Enjoy your birthday, alright?”

Victor was still holding on to the scarf with both hands, and for a split second Yuuri thought he would pull him toward him and close the gap between them – but he didn’t.

Yuuri took a step backward, irritated by his own strange thoughts. He was tired and probably just needed a hug, what with his anxiety and all that.

*

Wednesday turned out to be a good day. He woke up to Phichit, Leo, and Anton singing for him and they had bought him a large gift bag with different small things from various stores in Hogsmeade.

His lessons were alright that day, although he realised that he was now falling slightly behind in several classes. He vowed to work extra hard during the Quidditch season’s winter break, when he would have more time to focus on school.

After lunch he joined the rest of the Hufflepuff team in a spirited practice session, and was sung to again. Despite feeling a bit weird – he never knew where to look when people sang on his birthday – he enjoyed the gesture and felt like he was where he belonged. He made sure to invite the team to his party on Saturday, and everyone was delighted to have an excuse to go to Hogsmeade in the evening. They would have to be back inside the castle before curfew, but it would still be special, given that Hogsmeade visits usually occurred during the afternoon.

On Friday, Frozen Lake had their final practice before the game. When they had discussed their tactics, making sure that everyone knew exactly how they were supposed to fly the next day, they went out onto the pitch, ready to start training in earnest.

“I know you don’t get nervous during practice,” Victor said to Yuuri, his voice low so that no one else could hear him. “But I want you to imagine that the stadium is packed and everyone is watching you.”

Yuuri could feel his heart rate pick up at the mere though of the whole school watching him, judging his performance.

He kicked off the ground with the rest of the team, and he tried to imagine what it would feel like if this was the game, if the stadium was full of people. He knew it wasn’t real, so it was still easy to play as he normally did during practice, concentrated and, too a degree, confident. Yet somehow, _if_ there was a large audience now, it would be comforting to know that Victor was there, too. That he was watching him as well, trusting in his abilities and with no ill intent. Maybe, just maybe, that would be helpful the next day.

*

Yuuri was up early the next morning. He had had trouble falling asleep, and then kept waking up until he was too frustrated to try to go back to sleep at around six in the morning. He spent some time in the common room, dozing in a comfortable mustard yellow armchair, his mind caught somewhere between uneasy dreams and the awareness that he was half-awake.

He left for breakfast early, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to eat much, but hoping that, although he normally despised it, some coffee might wake him up properly. Only a handful of people were in the Great Hall when he got there, and he picked a seat at the Hufflepuff table that allowed him to turn his back on most of the Hall, facing the wall opposite. He had some juice and forced a cup of coffee into his system, and after a few minutes he did indeed feel more awake. With that came an unpleasant feeling of impending anxiety in his stomach.

Yuuri was on his way to getting caught in a spiral of thought, telling himself it was stupid to feel anxious about possible future anxiety, when he heard someone call his name.

He instantly recognised the voice as his older sister Mari’s and got up as she and their mother came towards him, accompanied by professor Greystone, the Hufflepuff head teacher.

“Surprise!” Mari grinned as Yuuri was pulled into a hug by their mother. “I wrote to the school to see if we could have breakfast with you today, and professor Greystone here was really nice and picked us up by the gate!”

“Thank you, professor,” Yuuri said. She smiled and excused herself, leaving for the teachers’ table at the head of the Hall.

“Cool dining hall,” Mari said, switching to Japanese now that they were alone, her gaze wandering through the Great Hall. “It looks bigger in the pictures in the book we’ve got at home, though.”

They sat down, Yuuri pouring pumpkin juice for Mari and his mother and asking how their journey had been. He noticed his mother looking at him.

“I can’t believe you’re seventeen. Both my children are adults now…”

Mari rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything.

“Of course,” their mother added, “you’ve been so independent for a long time, Yuuri, living abroad. But still, now it’s official. How do you feel now you’re legally a grown-up?”

“Mostly tired,” Yuuri said. Mari laughed. “Get used to it,” she said.

“Is the inn that busy?”

“Not right now, but we’re refurbishing some of the rooms so they’ll be all nice and new in the spring. We’ll be able to charge a bit more when all the tourists come for cherry blossom season.”

Yuuri loved hearing these stories about his home and he asked all the questions he could come up with to hear more about the renovations. Mari soon got bored, but his mother was delighted by his interest and told him all about the new colour scheme and her wish to one day add another couple of rooms at the back of the main house.

As they sat and talked, the Great Hall slowly filled, the excited chatter that was so characteristic of Saturday morning breakfast before a Quidditch match reaching its usual thunderous volume. Phichit and Leo walked by, looking for seats, and Yuuri quickly introduced them to his family.

“Is it always this loud in here?” Mari asked as she let her gaze wander over the students eating their breakfast and talking to their friends in what few people would have described as inside-voices.

“Only during start and end of term banquets and before Quidditch,” Yuuri explained.

“Yeah, we’re feeling pretty lucky! Your professor told us you’re playing today! Man, I’ve wanted to see you play a proper game in ages!” Mari beamed at him happily, and Yuuri smiled back, fighting against the nervousness that threatened to overtake him. He couldn’t think of anything to say, but didn’t have to worry about it for long, as he suddenly felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

“Enjoying your breakfast, Yuuri?” Victor asked, eyeing his family curiously.

Of course. How could Yuuri have thought for even a second that Victor would not come over to meet them. He was too curious to stay away.

“Mum, Mari, this is Victor, my coach.”

“Victor Nikiforov?” Mari asked and turned around to stare at him shamelessly.

“That’s me,” Victor said, shaking Mari’s hand.

“So cool to meet you!” Mari said. “I hope you’ve trained my brother well. I’ve never seen him play a big game – I’m expecting a show!”

Victor laughed, completely at ease. “It’ll be a show, I promise.” He winked and turned to Yuuri. “When you’re done with breakfast, the team are meeting in the Entrance Hall at half past.”

He waved a friendly goodbye to the Katsukis and left for the Gryffindor table.

“So are you two friends?” Mari asked wide-eyed.

Yuuri shrugged. “I guess. I mean, he’s my coach but we hang out sometimes.”

It sounded a lot cooler than he felt in this moment. His ears burned hot with embarrassment, although he couldn’t quite tell why.

“His hair is amazing!” Mari had turned around in her seat so she could watch Victor eat his breakfast.

“Mari! Stop staring! You can ask him about his hair products later, he’ll be at the party, okay?”

“Oh, goodie! Seriously, I want hair like that.”

Yuuri groaned. “As long as it’s only his hair you like so much.”

“Whatever do you mean?” his sister grinned at him, feigning innocence.

“You’re way too old for him! You’re twenty-four, for heaven’s sake!”

Mari laughed, obviously enjoying teasing him. “I know, don’t you worry. He’s just nice to look at, but you must have realised that yourself if you spend that much time with him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Mari smirked. “Just that I bet he’s got lots of admirers around here – and not just because he’s a Quidditch legend at seventeen already.”

Yuuri didn’t have an answer to that, and he hastened to ask his mother a random question about the family business.

A few minutes later he saw Victor, Mila, and Chris stand up.

“I guess I should go. You know where the stadium is, right? Just follow the people. The game starts at eleven. See you later.” Yuuri finished his juice and got up.

“Good luck!” Mari said.

“Have fun!” his mother added.

Yuuri met the Gryffindors of the team in the Entrance Hall and waited until everyone else was there as well. They went to the stadium together and changed into their team robes while listening to Victor’s short motivational speech.

“If you all fly the way you do in practice there’s really no reason why we shouldn’t win today. Greenhouse Three played well in their first game, but I’m sure that you’re better. Charlie, remember to cover the left hoop. Chris, no suggestive comments or gestures to opposing players – we don’t want them complaining. Everyone, do your best, play as a team, and this will be our first victory!”

When it was time to go onto the pitch, Yuuri felt his stomach twist with anxiety. He was used to the feeling, but he still wished he could get rid of it. As they walked towards the middle of the field, where Mr Cialdini was waiting, Victor briefly put his arm around Yuuri’s shoulder and said, in a quiet voice meant only for him: “Remember I’m on your side and I believe in you.”

Yuuri nodded, and without turning his head, said “don’t take your eyes off me, Victor.”

Then they arrived in the central circle, and Isabella Yang’s magnified voice sounded through the stadium.

“Welcome, welcome everybody, to the last game before the winter break! The next match won’t be played until late February, so the teams today better give us a performance worth watching, am I right?!” she asked, and the audience erupted in loud cheers.

“We have Greenhouse Three on the pitch again today. They were victorious in their game against the Great Hall Heroes two weeks ago, and are taking on another team today. Coach Anya Skripova is greeting the opposing team’s captain, resident Quidditch hero Victor Nikiforov. Remember the beginning of the year, when everyone was completely shocked when he announced he wouldn’t be playing this season? I sure do, and today is his first chance to prove that he’s as good a coach as he is a Seeker. His team, Frozen Lake, are playing in silver robes with the player numbers on their backs in black. Are their uniforms supposed to be a connection to Nikiforov’s famous hair? I can’t be the only one thinking that!”

Generous laughter from the audience followed Yang’s musings.

Mr Cialdini signalled for the teams to get ready, and Yuuri watched Victor retreat to the sidelines as everyone mounted their brooms.

“And they’re in the air! Quaffle immediately taken by Frozen Lake Chaser Crispino!”

The first few minutes of the game passed quickly, while Yuuri was caught in his usual haze of anxiety. He did his best to concentrate on his task, but he couldn’t find the Snitch anywhere. Luckily, Jaya Singh, Greenhouse Three’s Seeker hadn’t spotted it yet, either. Yuuri made sure to keep an eye on her. This time he wouldn’t be too careful and lose his chance at winning that way. If he saw the Snitch he would go for it, no matter what.

That decision somehow cleared his head. He knew he was a good player. If he didn’t let his nerves get in the way, he could win this. His mother and sister were watching, the whole school was watching.

Victor was watching.

Something inside him changed when he thought of Victor following him with his eyes. Victor trusted him, Victor believed in him.

Yuuri would catch the Snitch for Victor.

There was nothing that would keep him from doing so. As soon as he saw the Snitch, there would be no holding back. _This match doesn’t end before the Snitch is in my hand_.

Yuuri had never felt such determination, such certainty. He would win today. Because he had to, because he had to prove that he could. And because he wanted to see Victor’s face when he made him proud.

“And a Bludger sent by Hart prevents Greenhouse Chaser Despat from scoring – Giacometti now with the Quaffle. He’s already halfway across the pitch, his fellow Chasers following in close formation… he throws the Quaffle, Keeper Hopkins dives for it but misses – and that’s a goal for Frozen Lake! I said it last week when the Hippogriff’s Chasers outplayed the Forest Creatures and I’ll say it again – it’s clear to see which team has the better Chasers. Apparently, having a Crispino on your team is an advantage, even when the twins aren’t playing together!”

Yuuri kept looking for the Snitch, while Frozen Lake’s Chasers delivered the show the audience had been hoping for. Whenever Yuuri saw them soar past him, they were in formation, as practiced. Victor had stressed how important it was to not let the opposing team disrupt the Chasers’ game, and from what Yuuri could tell, Amal and Clara were doing a good job at keeping the Bludgers away from Mila, Sara, and Chris.

Yang was commenting as they attacked the Greenhouse Three goal hoops over and over again, and the audience cheered enthusiastically whenever they scored, and also when the opposing Keeper prevented them from doing so. As the game went on, the atmosphere on the stands turned into something resembling a party, as people constantly applauded successful manoeuvres and enjoyed the last good game of Quidditch they would see for almost three months.

Yuuri felt the audience’s positive energy, but he was too determined to react at the slightest hint of the Snitch to get carried away by it.

“And as the score keeps rising – 90 to 40 for Frozen Lake now – we enter the second hour of the game, making it the longest we’ve seen so far this season. There have been no sightings of the Snitch since the beginning of the match, and I’m sure the Seekers are keen to find it now. The Frozen Lake Chasers are good, but all the points they’re gathering for the team won’t be worth all that much if Singh beats Katsuki to the Snitch, as she did in Ravenclaw’s match against Hufflepuff.”

Yuuri exhaled through gritted teeth. He didn’t need a reminder of that defeat. A quick glance at Victor told him that he was still watching him, or at least looking in his direction – Yuuri couldn’t tell from the distance. He turned his focus back on the field, swerved around a Bludger that was shooting in his direction, and – there was the Snitch! It was flying inches behind the Bludger that had just soared past him, and he only saw it for a split second as it passed through his field of vision.

He turned his broom around as fast as possible, and raced after the Snitch. For the audience it looked as though he was pursuing the Bludger, but he had no hopes of Singh being fooled that easily. He didn’t have time to check what she was doing, he had to get to that Snitch. If he lost sight of it, who knew when it would resurface and who would have the advantage then. He had to catch it _now_.

Yuuri banned all thoughts of the audience, even the other players, from his mind. The only thing that was important was him getting to the Snitch. If this was practice, he’d be able to do it easily. Victor had told him to fly like he did in practice. So he did.

He was lying flat on his broom for extra speed and rushed past one of the other team’s Chasers so close that, as Chris would have said, he could have kissed her if that had been his intention. He didn’t care about scaring her, or anyone else, or what people though of him in this moment. All he cared about was the fluttering of tiny silver wings just in front of him. He lunged forward and grasped for the Snitch.

For the briefest moment he thought he’d missed it, but then he felt his fingers close around the cold metal and he knew he had done it.

He had won the game.

He came to a halt as he heard the whistle of Mr Cialdini’s pipe and Isabella Yang announced the final score. “Frozen Lake win 240 to 40 points. Did you see Katsuki go? Man, that guy’s fast if he wants to be. Nikiforov should be proud!”

Yuuri looked at his hand that was holding the Snitch, its wings still beating lazily against his fingers. His gaze followed his outstretched arm, and he saw Victor across the field, a wide smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so I felt like it was time for a whole chapter from Yuuri's POV because there's quite a lot of stuff I wanted to fit in before the Christmas chapter (I have something nice planned for that :D ). I hope no one is too disappointed that Mila and Yuri didn't get to say anything, they'll be back soon!
> 
> I would absolutely love to read some comments by the way! I haven't seen any new comments in a while and I'm starting to worry that no one is reading this. Not that I need validation that badly (she said, unconvincingly), but I'd really like to hear what you think, whether you like the fic as it is or have some constructive criticism!
> 
> I also want to stress that Mari does NOT fancy Victor! She genuinely just likes his hair!


	8. Chapter 8

Yuuri hadn’t felt this good in a long time.

He had won the game. He was a capable Seeker and he had proven it to the whole school, to his mother and sister, to Victor, and most importantly, to himself. A heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders and he couldn’t stop smiling as the team made their way to the changing room, where he was caught in a group hug.

Victor congratulated his team on their successful performance and the way he smiled at Yuuri with obvious pride made Yuuri’s heart swell with pure, untainted joy.

*

He spent the rest of the day in Hogsmeade with his family, showing them around the village. All three of them were in a fantastic mood, and it was cold but surprisingly sunny for early December. They had lunch at the Three Broomsticks and then made sure the small room behind the bar, that they had rented for the party, was adequately prepared.

In the early afternoon they went back to the inn where Mari and their mother were staying and they handed Yuuri his birthday presents. He received the traditional wristwatch many young wizards were given once they legally entered adulthood. It was a beautiful model, dark blue, the tiny planets on the clock face delicately painted in silver and gold. He thanked his mother profusely, touched as he was by the wonderful present, but she wasn’t done yet. She and Mari took turns handing him parcels until he had unwrapped several Quidditch and broom-care related books, some of his favourite Japanese sweets not even Honeydukes had in stock, a new Hufflepuff scarf and matching gloves, and a large framed photograph of his dog Vicchan, whom he missed dearly while he was away at Hogwarts.

He hugged both his mother and Mari and thanked them again, fighting back tears, especially when his mother said it had obviously been a good idea to get him all those books about Quidditch. She seemed to understand that the sport was his life, that he was determined to play professionally as soon as he got the chance. And it looked like she believed he was good enough. All those fears he’d had before the game – that his family might stop supporting him and demand he do something more traditional with his education – were gone, and he was able to breathe freely for the first time since he had gotten their letter announcing their visit. He vowed never to let them know how much he had dreaded their judgement.

After all the presents had been opened, Mari headed out on her own while Yuuri and his mother stayed behind to take a nap. Yuuri fell asleep on Mari’s bed quickly, and only woke up when his mother gently nudged his shoulder, telling him it was time for his party.

Yuuri did his best to assemble his hair into something that looked intentional before they left.

Soon after they had arrived at the Three Broomsticks, the Hufflepuff team and the Frozen Lake players showed up all at once, evidently having walked to the village together. Everyone sat around the tables that had been pushed together in the middle of the room and ordered drinks from the bar’s owner who was looking after them personally. Yuuri somehow ended up sitting with Phichit on his right and Victor to his left, with his mother and Mari a few seats further toward the middle of the table. For a moment he thought it strange that Victor, his coach, was sitting right next to him, but it was really thanks to him that he had been able to win the game today, and he was glad to have him there. No one else seemed to waste a thought on the seating arrangement, and Yuuri soon forgot about it.

Phichit handed him a small parcel wrapped in yellow wrapping paper, and Yuuri protested briefly, reminding his best friend that he had already given him a present on his actual birthday.

“It’s really just something super small,” Phichit said, grinning.

Yuuri opened the parcel and found a picture Phichit had taken of the two of them together, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders, both boys laughing into the camera. The picture was held by a frame covered in a design of tiny hamsters. Yuuri laughed and hugged Phichit tightly.

“I know you don’t like hamsters nearly as much as I do, but I thought it was funny, and now you have a picture of us together. You know, for when we leave Hogwarts.” For a moment, Phichit looked worried, as if he believed Yuuri might forget their friendship as soon as he left the school. But then his usual enthusiastic smile was back and he turned to Chris, who was sitting next to him, and who handed Yuuri a present that turned out to be a small white stone. Chris saw Yuuri’s confusion and explained “it’s a love stone. You hold it and if you’re in love, it turns red.”

“Oh,” Yuuri looked down to his hand, but the only thing that turned red was his face.

“Not currently in love,” Chris announced with a wink, and everyone laughed, but it was friendly laughter.

Mila, who was sitting on Chris’ other side, handed over her present next, and then Sara, and then Amal, until almost everyone had given Yuuri a present. All the gifts Yuuri received were lovely, mostly sweets from Honeydukes and gloves and other small things in the Hufflepuff colours. He realised that his team mates must have all taken some time to think about what he might like, and then bought those things for him. Looking around the table he felt immensely lucky to have these people in his life. Although he wasn’t close friends with most of them, they seemed to accept him, and the fact that they had all shown up tonight, and brought him presents, meant more to him than he thought he was capable of expressing with words.

Victor, the last one in the round, reached into the pocket of his coat which was hanging over the back of his chair, and produced a small cubic parcel.

“I promised I wouldn’t get you sweets,” he said as he set it down on the table in front of Yuuri. “And it’s not useful, either, not like Chris’ love stone,” again, everyone laughed and Chris wiggled his eyebrows.

Yuuri carefully unwrapped the parcel and found a box, made of dark wood.

“It opens,” Victor said, pointing at small metal hinges at the top.

Yuuri opened the lid of the box and saw a small golden ball lie inside it.

“It’s today’s.” Victor looked at him with a smile that wasn’t flashy or artificial in any way, but genuine and warm. Yuuri felt as though something heavy but soft had been dropped into his stomach.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“What is it?” Charlie asked from the other side of the table. Everyone was leaning forward, eager to see what was in the box. Yuuri carefully reached inside and picked up the Snitch he had caught just hours before, holding it up for everyone to see. They all agreed that it was a wonderful present and wanted to know how Victor had persuaded Mr Cialdini to let him have it.

“I just asked,” Victor simply said, smiling.

“Yeah? I bet you waved your hair around a little, distracting the poor man, and then grabbed that Snitch before he knew what was happening.” Mari was grinning at him from a few seats away, and after a round of laughter at the idea of that image, several topics of conversation where brought up at once around the table so that Yuuri was no longer the centre of attention. He was only too happy to leave it that way, joining Phichit, Guang-Hong, and Chris in a lively discussion on different brands of racing-brooms, while Mari had persuaded Leo to swap seats with her so she could question Victor about his hair care routine without distraction.

The party turned out nicely, everyone enjoying the evening away from homework and other worries, for the most part discussing various Quidditch-related topics and joking around freely.

When the curfew for the younger members of the assembled Quidditch teams drew closer, the older students agreed it was only fair if everyone left at the same time. Yuuri wished everyone a good night, receiving a round of hugs and handshakes, and then helped his mother, sister, and the bar’s owner to clean up the room a little. They said he didn’t have to, but he didn’t mind doing it. Stacking glasses and carrying them into the Three Broomsticks’ kitchen, and picking up dropped sweets from the floor gave him a moment to reflect on the evening. He smiled to himself, tired but content. The whole day had been one big success, and he felt truly relaxed, a feeling he didn’t have the chance to enjoy very often.

He was able to store all his presents in a large duffel bag Mari had thoughtfully brought along for just that purpose. When most of the mess had been cleared up, he was ushered outside by his mother, who insisted on him going to sleep instead of cleaning up any further. He thanked her again for the wonderful party, and promised to meet her and Mari the next day for some more sightseeing before they returned to Japan.

When he stepped into the cool December night, he took a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs as he looked around the quiet street, feeling at home. Then he realised he wasn’t alone.

“You’re still here?”

Victor had been leaning against the Three Broomsticks’ wall, half hidden in the shadows.

“I waited for you.”

“You didn’t have to.” If Yuuri had known Victor had been waiting out here in the cold, he wouldn’t have taken so long to clean up inside.

“I wanted to. Shall we go?”

They walked through the village in silence. Yuuri felt like he needed to say something, but didn’t know how to express his feelings properly. He was so grateful for everything Victor had done for him over the past few weeks, and he couldn’t understand why he was being so nice to him all the time. Why would someone as popular as Victor Nikiforov stoop to his level and voluntarily spend time with him when he didn’t have to?

Apparently, his thoughts were written on his face, because Victor asked “do you have something on your mind, Yuuri?”

“I just…” Yuuri started, and faltered. How could he say how he felt, how glad he was for Victor’s support, or rather his sheer presence that made him feel like he was not alone?

“I just wanted to say thank you. You helped me a lot and I don’t think I could have won without you today. You’re such a good Seeker, and so popular, and I wouldn’t have thought… I always kind of thought you were cool, but you’re actually even nicer than I thought you’d be.”

He felt himself blush at his last words, and pulled up his scarf to cover his pink cheeks.

Victor was quiet for a few seconds.

“I disagree,” he finally said. “You don’t need me to win, but I’m glad if you feel like my support is helpful. I wanted you to have that Snitch as a reminder, so that whenever you see it you’ll be reminded that you’re a great Seeker, and that you can win when you trust your instincts. Your flying today was beautiful, really.”

Yuuri was surprised by the complete honesty in Victor’s voice. There was almost something like sadness in it.

“Victor –“ he started, wanting to thank him again. Victor took hold of Yuuri’s right hand, as he had done in practice so many times.

“Call me Vitya from now on, won’t you? We’re… friends, right?”

Yuuri nodded, completely flustered. Victor briefly squeezed his hand before letting go.

They walked in silence until they had passed through the castle doors, greeted by the warmth and light of the Entrance Hall.

“Good night, Yuuri,” Victor said, briefly laying his hand on his shoulder as he often did these days.

“Good night… Vitya.”

Victor beamed at him and Yuuri stood and watched as he walked up the marble staircase, off to the Gryffindor tower.

 

* * *

 

Although she hadn’t gone to sleep any later than she usually did, Mila got up late on the morning after the party and was among the last people to have breakfast in the Great Hall. The break in the Quidditch season had begun and with it came the promise of a slightly less hectic schedule. Mila had decided to enjoy this one Sunday and just be lazy for once. Then, on Monday, she would start focusing on her classes in earnest.

She was sitting by herself during breakfast and let her mind wander to think of things she could do today. She would have to do _some_ school work, but that could wait until later. In an ideal world she would ask Sara to hang out a little, but she didn’t see her anywhere in the Great Hall and Mila had no idea where the Ravenclaw common room was. Even if she had known, she had serious doubts whether she would have gone there and knocked for Sara to come out. That seemed a bit drastic.

What was she supposed to do about her feelings for Sara, though? For a while she had thought they would just go away, but as things were now, that didn’t seem likely. And, Mila had to admit to herself, as easy as it would be if she wasn’t interested in Sara romantically, she didn’t really want those feelings to go away. Not now that there was hope. Mila felt as though she was clawing at straws, desperately wanting to believe that there was a way that Sara might like her too. She had said she wasn’t sure if she liked girls. Surely that was a good sign. Hopefully she would come to the conclusion that she did, in fact, like girls. Maybe even one specific girl –

Mila frowned at herself as she felt her thoughts go down a rabbit hole of _what if_ s and _maybe_ s. There wasn’t any conclusion she could come to now, not if Sara didn’t even know herself. Still, it would be nice to share these thoughts with someone else, just so she could get them out of her head.

Mila stood up and walked back through the school to the common room, where she hoped to find Victor. If there was someone who could help her in her situation, even if that meant to just listen to her, it was him.

Luckily, he was there, half-hidden behind a stacks of books he had piled up on a table in the corner. He only looked up from his essay notes when she sat down in the free chair opposite him.

“Is now a bad time?” she asked, pointing at Victor’s various books.

“No, now is actually perfect timing. I’m not getting anywhere with this today.” He dropped his pencil and re-arranged his long ponytail. “Need dating advice? Maybe you should consider talking to Chris instead of me.” He grinned. “Sometimes your face is entirely too easy to read.”

“Fine, you’re right,” Mila quickly checked that no one was listening in, “just keep your voice down.”

Victor nodded and leaned forward in mock plotting mode.

Mila sighed. “Right, I told you Sara and I talked and everything’s fine, but she said some things and now I wonder…”

She stopped talking. Telling other people about what Sara had told her in secret obviously wasn’t right. If she told Victor, wouldn’t that mean that she was repeating the same stupidity that had gotten her into trouble in the first place?

Victor could apparently see that she was struggling. “…And now you’re wondering if she likes you?” he offered. Mila shook her head.

“I shouldn’t say anything, actually.” She made to get up but Victor quickly grabbed her hand and held her back.

“I could guess,” he said. “You don’t need to tell me anything if I guess correctly. And whatever it is, you know you can trust me to keep a secret, right?”

Mila sat back down but kept quiet, feeling guilty but unable to just let it go.

“Alright…” Victor was staring at her intently. “She said some things and now you wonder… you wonder if there’s a chance she might potentially like you?”

Mila nodded.

“She said she’s gay?”

Mila shook her head no.

“Bi? Pan? Anything that means she likes girls?”

Mila had kept shaking her head through his guesses, but didn’t know how to react to the last one. A knowing glint flickered over Victor’s eyes.

“So she might like girls.”

“She might.”

“But you don’t know? Because… because she doesn’t know? Is that it?”

She nodded.

“Ah. Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. Did you ask if there was someone in particular who made her wonder?”

“No.”

“Hm. Not that there has to be someone, but it would sure be handy to know. Sorry, Mila, I think you’ll just have to wait and see. She might tell you when she figures it out, so that’s good.”

“I know. I was just thinking… if she’s not sure, I mean, if she’s thinking about whether or not she likes girls, doesn’t that mean it’s likely she does? Do people ever wonder and then realise they don’t… like whatever gender was in question?”

Victor thought about that for a while. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “Maybe it’s different for everyone. I think it’s probably not fair to assume anything about her while she isn’t sure herself, you know?”

He was looking her directly in the eye, and Mila saw that he understood her frustration and insecurity, her desperate wish to know. He was right, of course. This was Sara’s business, and not something Mila should try to figure out before her. Victor had known that instinctively, and Mila was glad to have spoken to him. There was something in the way he looked at her that reminded her of the day in the stadium’s changing room, when he had told her he would play Quidditch professionally but would not compromise his own integrity. He was so determined, so confident that he could make it, but Mila could read his face almost as well as he read hers. Behind it all was a certain melancholy and the knowledge that his wouldn’t be an easy career. In moments like this, as rare as they were, she found it hard to believe that he was only a year older than her. He seemed almost… wise sometimes.

But then he ran his hands through his hair, his light-heartedness and slight cheekiness flooding back into his seemingly carefree smile, and the moment was over.

She thanked him for the advice and was about to leave when she remembered it would only be polite to ask how he was feeling about Yuuri these days.

“He calls me Vitya now.” He smiled at the thought.

“Really? How would he even know to do that?”

“I asked him to. Normally I don’t mind friends sticking with Victor if they’re not used to Russian naming conventions, but with him I just couldn’t resist.”

“Good for you! And do you think he has feelings for you? He seemed to love the Snitch you gave him.”

“I’m not sure. I certainly hope so. At the moment it feels like there’s definitely something there, but I think he hasn’t quite put a name to it yet, you know? For me it’s clear that I have romantic feelings for him, but he doesn’t seem to think about these things that much. Time will tell, I’m patient.” He winked.

“Don’t do that,” Mila said, raising her eyebrows at him. “You and Chris need to stop winking at people, it gets them confused on all sorts of levels.”

*

The next week went by at a slightly slower pace, or at least it felt that way to Mila. There was still plenty of Quidditch practice, but without the frantic last minute game preparations everything was much more relaxed. It was getting increasingly colder, and on Wednesday they saw their first snow of the winter, briefly covering the ground before melting around midday. The wind and rain that followed on Thursday inspired professor Suresh to hold his Care of Magical Creatures classes inside, and no one complained, despite the fact that inside lessons meant a focus on theory.

Mila had taken a seat next to Sara, and was pleasantly surprised when, after class, she walked to the Great Hall with her.

“Hey, I was thinking, do you want to go to Hogsmeade this weekend?” Sara asked, “I feel like a Saturday without a Quidditch match is going to be quite empty.”

Mila was surprised, but very pleasantly so, and enthusiastically agreed to meet Sara in the Entrance Hall Saturday morning.

She powered through most of her homework on Friday, so she wouldn’t have to worry about any of that while she was in the village, and fell asleep in happy anticipation. The least Sara asking her to hang out together could mean was that she wanted to be friends, and that was a whole lot better than nothing.

Wrapped up in winter coats and scarves, they headed out the next morning, frost crunching under their feet. They stopped by Honeydukes, but didn’t stay long, which Mila was glad about. She felt heat rush to her ears in embarrassment as soon as they stepped into the shop, unable to shake the memory of what had happened the last time she had been there. Neither of them had any important shopping to tend to, so they just wandered around the village, appreciating the clear air and talking about Quidditch and classes.

They walked up a deserted path and stopped in front of the fence that separated the outskirts of the village from the legendary Shrieking Shack. It was still rumoured to be heavily haunted, despite the fact that it had been quiet for decades. Mila didn’t find it to be particularly scary, although the fence and safe distance might have played a role in that.

Sara was looking up at the abandoned house, apparently lost in thought. Mila held on to the fence and took a deep breath. If she was going to ask, she should do it now. She stuttered around for a while, apologising to bring up the topic at all.

“It’s just that I’ve been thinking about it a little and I was wondering if maybe there was someone in particular who made you feel like maybe you like girls? Or is it just a general feeling? I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

Sara was still studying the Shrieking Shack as if it was an architectural masterpiece and didn’t say anything, until Mila was almost certain she had blown it completely.

“Yeah, maybe,” Sara said. “It’s hard to say, really. There are a lot of complicated thoughts attached to that question and I haven’t been able to figure them out properly. So maybe.”

She finally turned her head, just slightly, and half-smiled at Mila in a way that made her feel very hopeful.

 

* * *

 

Yuri was still enjoying his new routine of hanging out with Otabek after training. Sometimes, when another team had booked the pitch right after them, they went on walks around the lake, or to the library, where they would each do their homework in silence while sitting at the same table. One Monday evening in mid December, Yuri was lazily laying on his back on one of the benches in the changing room while Otabek was mending a few bent twigs in his broom’s tail. Yuri watched him, finding the intense concentration in his eyes almost ridiculous.

“You’re a really quiet person, do you know that?” he asked after neither of them had spoken in almost half an hour. Otabek shrugged.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Yuri continued, “quiet is better than certain other people’s constant jabbering.”

Otabek didn’t respond for a while and Yuri sighed, turning his head to stare at the ceiling again. He had never noticed its particularly awful green colour before.

“Sometimes it’s smarter not to say anything,” Otabek’s voice came from his corner.

“What does _that_ mean?”

“I want to be a professional Quidditch player. It wouldn’t be very clever of me to run around telling people all sorts of stuff about myself. People talk, reputations get ruined faster than you can protest… I prefer being quiet.”

“Seriously? You’re just worried about your reputation? What reputation anyway?”

“Off the pitch, Quidditch is played with gossip, not brooms,” Otabek said and Yuri took a while to think about that. He had never wasted much thought on what was going on in the professional Quidditch world when the players were not soaring around in the stadiums. He had heard of a few players who had lost their contracts due to nasty rumours, though. Just last year there had been a scandal when someone had accused a player on the Russian national team to have had inappropriate relationships with several young fans. Yuri couldn’t remember if the rumours had ever been confirmed.

“I guess you’re right. I hadn’t thought about it. Why would you be worried, though? Got something to hide?”

He hadn’t meant for it to sound so harsh. Gritting his teeth, he turned his head to see if he would need to apologise.

“Don’t we all?” Otabek simply said, never raising his eyes from his broom. “Also, I’m quiet by nature, so it’s not that hard for me to hold my tongue.”

Yuri couldn’t think of anything to say to that. _Did_ everyone have something to hide? He rummaged through his brain, trying to find something that might one day ruin his career, but there was nothing. He was only fifteen, after all. Otabek was only one grade above him, so how could he have something to be that quiet about?

Yuri knew he wouldn’t get an answer to that question, even if he asked. Otabek had just told him he was quiet for a reason and Yuri suspected he wouldn’t start blabbing about his innermost secrets anytime soon.

When they walked back to the school together, the grounds dark and quiet in the cold night, Otabek cleared his throat before saying: “We shouldn’t waste this much time after training all the time. You have your O.W.L.s coming up in the summer. Shouldn’t you be studying during the Quidditch break?”

“What?!”

Yuri yanked his head around sharply to stare at Otabek from the side. Otabek shrugged, aloof as always.

“I mean it. Focus on school while you have the time. Are you even up to speed with your homework?”

Yuri couldn’t believe it.

“Don’t tell me what to do! If you don’t want to hang out with me, _fine_ , but you could have just said it!”

He pulled the castle’s oak doors open with more force than necessary and marched through the Entrance Hall while anger built up inside him.

“That’s not what I meant.” Otabek caught up with him on the marble staircase.

“Oh no? What else could you have _meant_? For someone who picks their words that carefully, you sure aren’t good at bringing across what you mean! I think it’s exactly what you meant!”

Otabek started to say something, maybe to protest, maybe to admit Yuri was right, but Yuri cut him off. He had had enough.

“Sorry I’m not what you expected – maybe you’d rather hang out with someone who’s more quiet and secretive, like you! Great job, asking me to be friends and then trying to weasel your way out like that when you’ve had enough – thanks very much!”

He took off, running up the stairs, away from Otabek, around a corner, up another flight of stairs, and through a door hidden behind a large ugly tapestry.

Panting from the run, Yuri slumped down on the ground next to the door, fighting back angry tears.

He had never been rejected like this before. It took him a while to realise that the reason he was so hurt (and there was no denying that he was, indeed, very hurt) was that he liked being Otabek’s friend. More than that, he liked Otabek, his stoic nature and straightforward determination to become a professional Quidditch player.

And now Otabek didn’t want him around anymore.

Of course he had denied it when Yuri had said it like that, but it was an easy lie to see through – Otabek was not the kind of person to start worrying about other people’s grades all of a sudden. No, he had looked for an excuse to get rid of Yuri, and he hadn’t bothered to make it convincing in the least.

_And that’s why I don’t normally make friends_ , Yuri thought, wiping at the tears that were streaming down his face, unable to hold them back any longer.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry to make Yuri cry! He's got it all wrong, of course, but apparently he's scared of rejection and can't see that Otabek might have other reasons to say what he said. I needed something to happen in their relationship, otherwise they'd get stuck in that hanging-out-not-talking phase.
> 
> About Yuuri calling Victor Vitya: There's [ this amazing tumblr post](http://c0rnfl0wer.tumblr.com/post/158793053134/psa-for-the-yoi-fandom-russian-names-how-to-use) going around that explains Russian names really well and I felt compelled to try and include some of it here. I don't speak Russian and I'm still a bit hazy on the details of that whole names-thing, so if I do something stupid, please let me know!
> 
> Also, quick announcement that I'm back at uni now and I'm not sure if I'll be able to update this on time every week. I'll see how this week goes and try to upload the new chapter (the Christmas chapter - in April, because I know how to be seasonally appropriate...) on Monday as usual but I might not be able to make it. 
> 
> And again a reminder to please leave comments! They don't have to be long, or super detailled, just let me know what you like or don't like because it's super helpful for me to get some feedback!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late upload!  
> As I said last week, I'm back at uni and I have to get so much stuff done if I want to graduate this semester (and I do).  
> I had been looking forward to writing this chapter for quite a while, and when I realised I wouldn't be able to upload on Monday, I decided to enjoy writing it instead of rushing.
> 
> So, here you go - the Christmas chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

 

 

Yuuri had decided that December was his month. It had started incredibly well, with Frozen Lake winning their game, and now that they were on the Quidditch break, everything was just so much more relaxed. He had enough time to catch up on all of his class work and despite the cold, he was enjoying the Quidditch practice sessions that were still taking place.

The victory against Greenhouse Three had boosted his confidence and although he knew that he would still be fighting his nerves the next time he played against another team, Yuuri didn’t allow that fact to dampen his mood.

He didn’t need the additional nonverbal spell practice anymore, and he trusted Victor as his coach and his friend, so blindfolded flying had been cancelled for the time being. Nevertheless, Yuuri and Victor still spent some time together after training whenever they could, flying around the stadium and trying new moves. Yuuri liked to practice manoeuvres he wasn’t yet familiar with when Victor was the only one watching him. Although he liked his team members a lot, and he knew they wouldn’t laugh at him for botching a difficult move, he preferred having only Victor’s eyes on him. Curiously, rather than making him nervous, knowing that Victor was watching him encouraged Yuuri and made him feel more confident in his abilities.

He tried to explain this feeling to Victor one evening after practice. Yuuri had never been an expert at putting thoughts and feelings into words, but Victor seemed to understand what he meant. A wide smile spread across Victor’s face and, to his surprise, Yuuri could see his coach’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink, only just discernable against his pale skin.

That was strange. Yuuri had never seen Victor blush before, and he couldn’t help but stare. Victor held his gaze while he re-tied his ponytail.

Yuuri cleared his throat. “So what are you doing during the Christmas holiday?” he asked just to say something, anything at all, to fill the somehow meaning-laden silence.

“Nothing, really. School work, mostly, and maybe some wandering around the castle in search of secret passages.” The blush on Victor’s face had disappeared, Yuuri noticed.

“You’re not going home?”

Victor shook his head.

“Why not?”

“We don’t really celebrate Christmas. My father is in Argentina on business and my mother is always busy anyway. I would just be alone all day. Staying here means I can use the Quidditch pitch whenever I want, I can study in the library, I’ll probably have my dorm all to myself, and I’ll get the best food anyone could ask for on my birthday. It’s an easy decision.”

Yuuri had never heard Victor speak about his parents before. Imagining him all alone in a house somewhere in Russia felt strange.

“Your birthday is around Christmas?” Yuuri would have thought that anyone who had the chance to go home for their birthday would want to do so.

“It’s on Christmas Day. Which is brilliant, because the Christmas food at Hogwarts is to die for, and the Great Hall doesn’t get as loud as it usually does for feasts, because not that many people are there. It’s nice.”

Victor sounded as if he genuinely didn’t care that he would be spending his birthday at school, but Yuuri could tell that this wasn’t quite true. He had known for a while now that Victor sometimes wore his smile as armour and he could tell that that was exactly what he was doing now.

“Are any of your friends staying, too? Chris or Mila? Or Yuri Plisetsky?”

Victor laughed. “If Yuri hears about you calling me his friend we’ll have to fear for our lives.”

“You’re not friends?”

“Not really. I think he sees me more as an annoying older brother or cousin. We’ve been training at the same summer camps pretty much since he was old enough to walk, so we more or less grew up together. When he came to Hogwarts his grandfather asked me to look after him a little.”

Yuuri nodded. He had wondered if they were distantly related, and the way Victor talked about Plisetsky made it very obvious that he cared about him a great deal. Victor hadn’t answered the question, though, and Yuuri wondered if he had deliberately tried to change the topic.

“Is he going home?”

Victor nodded. “He’s staying with his grandfather in Moscow.”

“And Chris and Mila?”

“They’re going home, too.”

“So you’ll be all alone?”

“Hardly. There are always some people who stay here, including most of the teachers.” He turned away to put his Quidditch robes into his bag but Yuuri was sure Victor also wanted to hide his face. Maybe he was imagining it all.

“What are your plans for when you’re home?” Victor asked, his back still turned at Yuuri.

“I don’t know,” Yuuri said slowly, as he felt an idea form and quickly take hold in his mind.

“What’s Hogwarts like at Christmas?”

“Quiet. You wouldn’t believe how quiet it gets, especially when it snows a lot. Dinner on Christmas Eve is my favourite all year, not just because of the food. Some of the teachers get a bit tipsy and everyone is much more relaxed than they normally are. People don’t stick to the House tables, either. You just sit wherever you want because it’s nicer to sit with a bunch of people than have twenty or thirty people spread across the entire Hall.”

“I’d like to see that,” Yuuri said.

*

He knew he would be staying at Hogwarts this Christmas as soon as he had realised that not going home bothered Victor more than he let on. It wasn’t a decision he made because he felt sorry for him, it was just something he had to do. Victor had helped him more than he could say, and if keeping him company over Christmas was an opportunity to give some of that back, it wasn’t something Yuuri had to think about for long. Of course, there was the possibility that Victor wouldn’t _want_ to spend his free time during the holidays with him, but Yuuri made use of his current confidence and managed to ignore that thought.

The next day he sent a letter home to his family, thanking them again for his wonderful birthday, and explaining that he would be staying at Hogwarts over Christmas to express his gratitude for Victor’s support.

Yuuri didn’t tell Victor about his decision until he had his family’s reply. He wanted to make sure they were okay with him not visiting them before he promised to stay.

The letter from his family he received a few days later said that they would miss him, but they understood his wish to be there for his friend. Yuuri was glad, and a little sad, when he thought of his father and Vicchan, both of whom he hadn’t seen since the beginning of the school year. He knew he would miss them on Christmas Day, but he had made a decision and he was sticking to it. Victor had been trying so hard not to show any sign of sadness or even annoyance at the fact that he would be without friends and family on his birthday, and if Yuuri hadn’t spent so much time with him in the past few months, he was sure he would have taken Victor’s words at face value.

 

* * *

 

The final week before the beginning of the Christmas holidays was not a pleasant one for Yuri. He avoided Otabek at all costs, which was easy except at Quidditch practice. Despite the fact that they were no longer spending any of their free time together, Yuri still had to turn up for team practice. He wore his best scowl and looked straight through Otabek whenever he explained what he wanted the team to try next. The other players seemed to noticed that something was off, but no one said anything and Yuri tried to act as though he had not just been dropped by his only friend.

As soon as Otabek announced the end of the last training session before Christmas, Yuri hurried to the changing room, determined to get out of Otabek’s sight as fast as he could. After all, that was what he so clearly wanted. Several of his team mates looked at him, obviously curious about what had gotten him into such a bad mood, but Yuri ignored them.

“Yuri!”

Otabek was calling after him as Yuri headed for the door. He stopped for a second and almost turned around, then decided to ignore him too. He wasn’t in the mood for a scolding for bad behaviour or whatever else it might be Otabek wanted from him now. Making sure to slam the door with more force than necessary, Yuri stormed off and ran back up to the castle, his anger making it impossible to walk at a normal pace.

He found it hard to concentrate on classes, which fuelled his anger even more. It was bad enough that Otabek had turned his back on him, but now the nagging feeling of having been utterly rejected gnawed at his mind every hour of the day and kept him from properly focusing on anything else. How could one person’s judgement affect him so much? Yuri normally made sure to let other people know that he didn’t care what they thought of him. With Otabek, however, he had let his guard down, and now he had to pay for it.

Victor asked him what was going on, why he was more grumpy than usual. Yuri couldn’t answer. Normally, Victor asking about his life was a mild irritation that he met with snarky comments – that was just how their relationship worked. But when Victor dared to ask if he had gotten into a fight with Otabek, Yuri felt, to his complete horror, a lump in his throat and tears building up in his eyes. He fled to his dormitory, and Victor had the decency not to follow him.

Otabek didn’t try to talk to him again and somehow Victor must have understood that Yuri didn’t want his help, because he only looked at him pityingly instead of annoying him verbally. Yuri couldn’t wait to leave the castle for the Christmas holidays and he was counting down the days until he could go. For some stupid reason they all had to go on the train to London before they could be picked up by their relatives. Yuri would have preferred to catch a Portkey from Hogsmeade, but he knew asking a professor wouldn’t help. He had already tried that in his first year, and had received an answer about tradition and insurance, that he didn’t think made much sense.

He had his suitcase packed early and was one of the first students at breakfast on the first lesson-free day. The Great Hall was loud and full of people excited to see their families soon. Several large Christmas trees had been put up in the Hall as decoration, and not even Yuri could avoid feeling some happy anticipation. He didn’t care for the decorations, but over the years they had become a sign that meant he would soon see his grandfather. Next to Quidditch, spending time with the old man was his favourite thing to do, and going to a foreign boarding school meant that he didn’t get the chance to do so very often.

He got on one of the carriages to the train station with some of the people on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and he accepted their invitation to sit with them on the train. It was better to sit with people he knew than having to listen to strangers tell each other what their plans for the holidays were.

As they arrived on the platform, he saw Otabek standing near the train, and his mood worsened. He had hoped not to see him before he left. Otabek had spotted him too, and for some reason he came towards him. Yuri considered pushing past him without acknowledging his presence, but Otabek had other plans. He was carrying an envelope that he held out to Yuri.

“Take it,” he said when he didn’t react immediately, and shoved it into his hand before Yuri could refuse. Otabek turned and left without another word, and Yuri was tempted to throw the envelope after him to show him just how much he didn’t care. Instead, he crammed it into his coat pocket, scrunching it up in the process. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t open that envelope, at least not immediately.

 

* * *

 

The train journey to London was a pleasant experience. It was the first time Mila had the opportunity to sit with Sara the entire time, and they talked about this and that as the landscape flew by. Sara’s brother was in the same compartment, but he seemed to be in a good mood, talking to one of his friends whom Mila recognised as one of the Beaters on the Slytherin team.

She had spent the past week agonising over the question of whether she should buy Sara a Christmas present. In the end, she had settled on getting a scarf from a shop in Hogsmeade, because she remembered Sara complaining about the one she had during Quidditch training.

A scarf, she thought, didn’t send any weird messages. A scarf just meant that she cared enough to get something for her friend, not that she wanted their relationship to become something more romantic. She didn’t want Sara to know just how much she liked her before she had figured out if she liked girls. If Sara did end up realising that dating girls was an option for her, Mila would ask her out. If, on the other hand, she realised that she only liked boys, Mila would know to stay away without having to confess her feelings. Of course, her plan to wait until Sara told her depended on Sara _wanting_ to tell her.

She had given Sara the parcel with the scarf as soon as they had sat down on the train, and to her pleasant surprise, Sara had returned the gesture. Now they both had a parcel lying on the seats next to them. They had agreed not to open them until Christmas, but Mila almost didn’t care what Sara’s present for her was. Just the fact that Sara seemed to care about her enough to get her anything at all was present enough.

When they arrived in London, late in the afternoon, they collected their things, put on their coats, and left the train together. Mila spotted her parents waiting for her further down the platform. They were standing in line next to the table with the Portkeys that most of the international students used to get home. Sara and Michele headed for the table as well.

“My parents are over there,” Sara said and pointed to the front of the line where Mila could see a man and woman who were waving at Sara and Michele. Mila didn’t know how to say goodbye because she really didn’t want to, but she didn’t have long to think about it before Sara pulled her into a hug.

Mila felt as though an entire butterfly farm had just been set loose in the area of her stomach. She had hugged Sara before – Victor had made sure the people on his team were comfortable hugging each other every now and then. This was different.

Sara’s hair smelled incredible, they were almost the same height so that wrapping her arms around her was easy and comfortable, and Mila was sure the hug lasted just a tiny bit longer than would have been normal for two friends saying goodbye before Christmas.

 

* * *

 

The first few days back home in Moscow where exactly what Yuri had needed. He had missed the city, where the cold felt more like home than it did in Scotland. His grandfather made Pirozhki and Yuri was happy.

Only the envelope Otabek had given him on the platform disturbed his otherwise wonderful break from school. He felt like opening it would mean admitting defeat. Whatever Otabek had to say to him, it could not be good. Maybe he was mad at him for showing his bad mood too much during practice. The thought of Otabek chiding him for unkind behaviour made his hands shake with frustration. He had taken the letter out of his coat and almost opened it half a dozen times, but always decided it was better not to read it.

Without noticing it, he carried it around with him, usually stuffed into a pocket of something he was wearing. One night, not long after he had arrived in Moscow, he caught himself sitting on his bed, unable to fall asleep, clutching the unread letter to his chest. When he realised what he was doing, he hurled the envelope across the room, silently cursing himself. There was no way around it, he had to read that letter, no matter its contents.

He got up from the bed slowly, almost believing what he was trying to convince himself of with all his might – that he didn’t care. Sitting on the floor next to where the envelope had fallen, he realised he was gritting his teeth in frustration. This shouldn’t matter to him. Otabek should be dead to him.

And yet there was a sliver of hope somewhere hidden deep inside him. Yuri could have slammed his head against the wall when the thought crossed his mind, just for a second, that he hoped that there was an alternative explanation for why Otabek had dropped him. That there was a way that they could be friends again.

He felt stupid, which was not a feeling he enjoyed in the least, and he straightened the crumpled envelope rather aggressively before ripping it open.

 

_Dear Yuri,_

Yuri lowered the hand that was holding the letter, and buried his head in the other. _Dear_ Yuri. Why did Otabek addressing him this way make his stomach twist and his eyes tear up? Yuri hadn’t realised quite how much he missed him until he opened his letter. What he was feeling made no sense to him.

After a minute he felt capable of reading the rest of the letter.

 

_Dear Yuri,_

_first of all, I’m sorry!_

_I shouldn’t have told you to focus on your studies instead of spending time with me. I know what that must have sounded like to you and it’s understandable that you’re angry. I could say that I didn’t mean to push you away, but I have to admit that, in a way, I did._

_It’s not because I don’t like being your friend, on the contrary. I was starting to worry that I liked it too much. Suddenly you started commenting on me being quiet and keeping secrets and I felt cornered. I’m not used to telling people things about myself and I was (still am) scared that if you found out certain things about me you wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore. That’s why I tried to steer you away from me, and it worked better than I had expected. The problem is, I don’t want you to hate me, and I don’t want you to stay away._

_I’m quiet and I usually keep to myself, but hanging out with you is better._

_Can we please be friends again?_

_Beka._

Yuri only realised he was crying when a tear fell onto the letter and blotted the writing. How was he crying over this _again_?

He couldn’t deny the rush of relief he felt. Stupid Otabek, how could he believe Yuri would reject his friendship because of whatever it was he was scared of telling him? Yuri stood up and rummaged around in his school things until he had found a usable piece of paper and a pen. Otabek had waited for a reply long enough, given the fact that Yuri had resisted the urge to read the letter for several days.

 

_Dear Otabek,_

he wrote, hesitated, ripped the top of the letter off, and started again.

 

_Beka,_

_you idiot!_

_What’s wrong with you? You realise pushing people away makes them not want to be around you, right? Why do you think I wouldn’t want to be your friend if you told me more about you? In my understanding that’s what friendship is, people accepting each other even if they’re stupid idiots who have moronic secrets._

_We can be friends again._

_If you tell me everything there is to know about you. Then we’ll see if you were right (I doubt it)._

He hesitated again, then signed _Yura_ and went to find his grandfather’s owl.

 

* * *

 

Christmas at Hogwarts was, as Victor had said, quiet. Almost all of the students had left the castle, and nobody was running around the corridors in an effort to get to class on time.

When Yuuri told Victor he was going to spend the holidays at Hogwarts, he had looked worried and asked him why he wasn’t going home. Yuuri ensured him that everything was alright with his family, that he just wanted to make new experiences, and Victor’s description of the school around Christmas had appealed to him. Victor wasn’t convinced, Yuuri could tell that much, but he didn’t pursue the topic any further.

They spent much of their time in the library, working on essays, and talking. Victor wanted to smuggle Yuuri into the Gryffindor common room, but Yuuri thought that was a bad idea. If they got caught they would both lose a substantial amount of House points, and the library wasn’t a bad place to pass the time.

On Christmas Day, after having spent the afternoon in the Quidditch stadium, and searching the castle for the best abandoned room with a fireplace for roasting marshmallows, Yuuri sat down next to Victor for dinner in the Great Hall. They had eaten every meal together since everyone had left, a new experience for Yuuri, who had only ever sat at the Hufflepuff table. Today, the remaining students were sitting at the Ravenclaw table.

The Great Hall looked wonderful, decorated as it was with twelve tall Christmas trees, each bedecked with different ornaments. Most of the teachers were present as well, seated at their own table, and when the feast appeared in front of them, professor McGonagall raised her cup and wished them all a happy Christmas.

Yuuri waited until dessert to give Victor his birthday present.

“Here you go,” he said and set the small parcel down next to Victor’s bowl of Christmas pudding. “Happy birthday!”

“It’s your birthday?” a Ravenclaw girl sitting across from them asked. Victor nodded, and soon everyone in the Hall was singing the birthday song for him. For the second time in his life, Yuuri saw a hint of pink creep into Victor’s cheeks, and he liked the sight of it.

When everyone else’s attention had returned to their food, Victor unwrapped his present. It was a notebook, bound in a dark blue silk-like material.

“You said you wanted to do more than just Quidditch. I thought you could write down all the things you want to do, and then do them one by one,” Yuuri explained. “It’s a bit stupid,” he added, when Victor didn’t say anything.

“No, it’s – thank you!” Victor was staring at the small book. “I didn’t think you’d remember me saying that. It means a lot to me.” He smiled at Yuuri, the hint of a blush still on his face.

“Does anyone have a pen?”

Someone handed a pen to Victor, and he opened the notebook and wrote something on the first page, carefully obscuring the letters with his free hand. He gave the pen back and grinned at Yuuri as though something was particularly hilarious.

“That was easy. The first thing on my list of things I want to do. I’ll tell you what it is when the time is right.”

Yuuri didn’t ask what that was supposed to mean. It sounded like he would find out sooner or later anyway. He was just glad that Victor liked his present.

Everyone stayed much longer for dessert than during usual dinners and Yuuri felt a growing suspicion that it had something to do with the amount of wine consumed at the teachers’ table. Victor had hinted at the teachers being more relaxed when only a very limited number of students were present, and he hadn’t lied. Yuuri heard professor Greystone tell Mr Cialdini a joke that was definitely unfit for the younger students’ ears, and professor McGonagall had taken her hat off, something she only did on rare occasions. When some of the teachers began singing various songs, not all of them Christmas-related, the two remaining prefects decided that it was time for the students to leave.

In the Entrance Hall everyone wished each other a good night, and four small groups of students left in the directions of their Houses’ common rooms. Yuuri was about to follow his fellow Hufflepuffs, when Victor took hold of his upper arm and whispered in his ear “meet me back here in an hour. Bring a coat.”

There was no time to ask questions, as Victor had let go of him and vanished up the stairs with the group of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws before Yuuri could react.

There was no way of knowing what Victor was planning, so Yuuri decided to just go along with it. He sat on his bed in the empty dormitory and waited for the time to pass. Phichit, Leo, and Anton had all gone home for Christmas, so as long as no one was still in the common room, nobody would notice him sneaking out after hours. If someone was there, he decided, he would pretend to nip into the kitchen for a cup of tea. One of the advantages of being a Hufflepuff was the common room’s proximity to the kitchen.

When the hour had almost passed, Yuuri stuffed his scarf and gloves into the pockets of his winter coat before quietly opening the dormitory’s door and peaking around the corner into the common room. Luckily, it was empty. Explaining why he was taking his coat to the kitchen might have proven difficult. He hoped that the teachers had finished dinner and left the Great Hall.

Coming up the stairs from the basement, he edged along the wall, doing his best to stay hidden in the shadows, just in case that one of the teachers was still around. He didn’t hear anything, so it seemed like everyone had gone to bed. Yuuri wasn’t used to wandering around the castle after dark. He had rarely broken any school rules. There was just no need to, at least most of the time.

He jumped when he actually saw someone coming from the Great Hall. It was so quiet he had assumed that the Hall was deserted. The few torches that were still burning provided only dim light in the Entrance Hall, which was lucky for Yuuri, who didn’t think he’d be detected as long as he stayed in the shadows and didn’t move. Hopefully Victor wouldn’t come down the marble staircase while the teacher was still around.

The professor leaned against the wall next to the Great Hall’s door, and light from the nearest torch fell on his face. It was professor Hughes, the transfigurations teacher. For a moment, Yuuri wondered what he was still doing there, alone, but then professor Suresh also left the Great Hall and pulled the doors shut behind him. The two men were clearly visible from where Yuuri was standing, and at first he didn’t understand what he was seeing when professor Hughes held out his hand and professor Suresh took it and pulled his colleague toward him in a swift motion. Hughes laughed quietly, and Yuuri felt his jaw drop when the two professors crashed into each other and were suddenly embracing in what could not be interpreted as anything other than a passionate kiss.

Yuuri stared, unable to look away. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that he was witnessing a private moment that was not meant for his eyes, but he couldn’t seem to turn away. His heart hammered in his chest, so loud he almost feared the professors might hear it.

After what felt like a long time, the men separated, looked each other in the eye for a moment, and then walked towards the marble staircase, holding hands. Yuuri only dared to breathe once he could no longer see them. His face was burning. He felt weird. Light-headed.

“Yuuri?” Victor’s voice floated through the Entrance Hall, quiet but loud enough to hear.

Yuuri pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against.

“There you are,” Victor said when he saw him, “for a moment I thought you hadn’t come back. You’re face is bright red, are you alright?”

Yuuri nodded, not sure how to explain. “Yeah, I just… professor – I mean, I guess I just saw something I shouldn’t have… seen.”

Victor laughed. “You mean Hughes and Suresh?”

Yuuri felt the heat return to his cheeks. “Yeah.”

“I saw that they were still here and hid behind a stature upstairs. Were they making out or something?”

Yuuri nodded, too surprised by Victor’s casual tone of voice to say anything.

“I guess you didn’t know about them.” Victor said.

“You did?”

“Sure. Remember, I spend every Christmas here. They’ve been together for years. You seem a bit, well, shocked,” he added when Yuuri didn’t reply. “You’re not… against it, right?” Suddenly he looked worried.

“No!” Yuuri fished around in his brain for the right words. “I just wasn’t expecting to see two of my teachers kissing, that’s all.”

Victor visibly relaxed. “Oh, good,” he said, still looking at Yuuri as if he was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

“They looked happy,” Yuuri mumbled because he felt the need to say something else. Victor was still looking.

“Anyway, why did you want to meet me?” Yuuri asked in an attempt to finally change the subject.

“Right, yeah. Got your gloves? We’re going outside.”

“Where outside?”

“You’ll see. Not far. Are you coming?” Victor walked across the Hall towards the giant oak doors that separated the castle from the grounds. He pulled one open and turned around to wait for Yuuri, who felt his heartbeat fast in his chest again.

“Why?”

“I want to show you something. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. But if you do, I promise it’s not far, it’s not dangerous, and I doubt we’d get in trouble even if we got caught.”

He held the door open, waiting for a decision. Yuuri felt embarrassed. Were his worries that obvious? Did that mean Victor thought he was a stickler for the rules who was afraid to leave the castle at night?

He put on his coat, pulled his scarf and gloves from his pockets, and followed Victor outside.

The grounds were cold and quiet. The grass on the soft slope that led toward the Quidditch stadium glistened with frost.

“Lumos,” Victor whispered, and the tip of his wand glowed with a soft light in the dark. Yuuri followed his example and let Victor lead him down the path and towards the lake. Again, he wanted to ask what his plan was but he swallowed the urge. They walked close to the frozen lake in silence, their steps the only noise in the darkness, their breath forming white clouds illuminated by their wands.

Finally, they stepped around a willow with low-hanging branches that seemed to stretch toward the water, and Victor stopped. He raised his wand, pointed it at the lake, and directed a spell at its surface. Next, he sent a ball of soft light, roughly the size of a Quaffle, into the air. It hovered not far away, ten feet over the lake’s frozen surface. Victor now held on to the tree trunk with his left hand, lifted one foot, and pointed his wand at the sole. A piece of metal grew out of the shoe, twisting into a blade that connected the heel with the shoe’s tip. When he had transformed both his shoes, he carefully walked over to where Yuuri was standing.

“Ever been ice-skating?”

Yuuri nodded. “A few times, as a child.”

Victor smiled. “Good. It’s like flying. Once you’ve learned it you won’t forget.”

He gestured for Yuuri to lift his right foot and quickly transformed Yuuri’s shoes as well.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Yuuri asked.

“I taught myself. I looked up the spell in the library a few years ago. It’s pretty simple. Here,” he had stepped onto the ice and held out a hand for Yuuri to take.

Victor had been right, remembering how to skate didn’t take Yuuri long at all. It felt like his body had kept the memory without his knowledge, and as soon as his feet came in contact with the ice, he knew how to move his legs and upper body to glide across the lake. Victor’s spell had made the ice thick and smooth, so that they could move across it safely and with ease. They skated in circles for a while, by the dim light of the orb hanging above them like a chandelier.

Yuuri found that he enjoyed skating. It reminded him of flying in a way. He watched Victor skate backwards, and then launch into a jump, rotating around himself before landing on the ice again safely, his silver hair flowing around him almost as if he was under water. Behind him, the sky was full of stars, thousands of tiny lights that made Victor look _beautiful_.

There was no other word Yuuri could think of. It filled his head, and somehow his heart, and he was standing on the ice, eyes fixed on Victor as he danced across the lake.

When he noticed Yuuri standing still, Victor glided over to him, somewhat out of breath from the jumps.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes. I was just watching you.”

“I wanted to show you this.” Victor gestured towards the lake, the ball of light, the sky. “This is my favourite place to be.”

Yuuri felt that heavy feeling again, the one he had experienced a few times before, and that was connected to Victor. He recognised the feeling, only this time it was much stronger and he felt as though everything around him was somehow much larger than normal. The lake that seemed to stretch on forever, the sky with its infinite number of stars, and Victor.

“Thank you,” he said, “for showing me.”

Victor nodded, and held out his hand again. Yuuri took it and they skated in large circles together, reminding Yuuri of flying blindfolded, only now his eyes were open.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist including some ice skating. I had that scene planned from the very beginning, and I'm so glad to have it out now.
> 
> Yuri is being a bit over the top again, but after seeing 'Welcome to the Madness' I won't apologise for that :D (by the way, if for some reason you haven't seen it, drop everything, go to YouTube and search for 'Plisetsky GPF Barcelona'. I'm serious.)
> 
> Since I've realised I won't be able to update once every week, I'm now aiming at a ten-day-rhythm, more or less. So the next chapter will hopefully be out the weekend after Easter.
> 
> Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about this chapter!!
> 
> By the way, here's a [link](https://glassballoonsflytoo.tumblr.com/) to my tumblr. There's nothing going on there, really, but if you'd rather send me a message directly instead of commenting here, now you can.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long!  
> Enjoy!

 

 

The rest of the Christmas holiday passed quickly and peacefully. It was still quiet around the castle, but the festive atmosphere was gone, and Yuuri focused on studying. He and Victor spent their days in the library and on the Quidditch pitch. Every now and then, even when Victor wasn’t around, memories of skating on the lake washed over Yuuri’s consciousness, and with them came a warm feeling in his stomach.

He felt like something had changed that day. Victor had opened up to him before, but showing Yuuri his favourite place, and the expression on his face when he had danced across the ice made Yuuri think that he had seen Victor’s core – something he usually protected from curious eyes. Thoughts like this came to Yuuri in quiet moments, and he liked the idea that his connection with Victor was special, that it was more than just one Seeker teaching another some moves and hanging out when there was time.

On the day before the other students would return to Hogwarts, Yuuri decided to take the opportunity to tidy up his dorm. The only belongings scattered around the floor were his, and he felt it would be nice if his classmates returned to a clean and tidy place. Not that he was a particularly messy person, but having the room to himself had allowed him to spread his things more than usual. He began picking up jumpers he had only worn for half a day, and pens that had stopped working, and putting them away. After he had cleared the floor, he moved on to the chest of drawers next to the bed. He knew that the top drawer was a mess, and he pulled it open reluctantly. After staring at the clutter for a few seconds, he decided it would be easiest to turn the whole thing out on the floor and simply throw away all the things he didn’t need anymore.

A mix of old pieces of paper, pens, sweets wrappers, and various other small items that didn’t have an allocated place in the room, fell onto the floor he had just cleaned. For a moment he wondered if he had made a big mistake. Then something small and white caught his eye. It was the stone Chris had given him for his birthday. Yuuri had completely forgotten about its existence. He picked it up, wondering where to put it and paused in his movement when he saw it change colour in his hand. Its usual milky white had turned into a light shade of pink.

What had Chris said? When the stone turns red, you’re in love?

Yuuri turned the stone in his hand, observing it keenly to see if its colour would change any further. It stayed a pastel pink that reminded him of cherry blossoms. What was that supposed to mean? Chris hadn’t said anything about colours other than red.

Yuuri sat on the floor, surrounded by the mess he had made, his mind wandering, while he absentmindedly played with the stone.

*

A few days passed before he was able to ask Chris about it. Although the other students had returned the day after Yuuri’s attempt to tidy up the dorm, Frozen Lake only had Quidditch practice scheduled later that week, and Yuuri didn’t see any occasion to talk to Chris before then.

Luckily, there was a short break during practice, in which Victor was focusing on the Beaters and a new manoeuvre they were trying, while the rest of the team waited.

“Chris, can I ask you something?” Yuuri waved him away from their team mates. Chris looked intrigued and followed him.

“Sure, what is it?”

“About the stone you gave me for my birthday… you said if it turns red that means you’re in love.”

Chris nodded, an amused sparkle in his eyes.

“What about other colours, though?” Yuuri asked.

“Can I see?”

Yuuri pulled the stone from his cloak’s pocket and showed it to him. It was still the same rosy colour it had been since the day he found it in his drawer.

“Hmm…” Chris said. “You don’t know what this means?”

Yuuri shook his head.

“It’s simple,” Chris said. “Red means ‘in love’, so this here,” he gestured at the stone in Yuuri’s hand, “means you like someone, but it’s not quite love yet. It’s a lighter shade of red, in a way. You definitely have a crush, am I right?”

Yuuri stared at him. The way Chris explained it, it made perfect sense. Yuuri’s eyes flickered over to where Victor was talking to the Beaters.

Was that it? Was that what that feeling was that he kept having when they were together? Did he really need a _stone_ to tell him how he felt?

“Thought so,” Chris said, smirking. He had obviously caught on to where Yuuri had glanced.

“What? No! I – I didn’t mean –“ Yuuri felt his face go a far darker shade of pink than the stone.

Chris laughed. “I wouldn’t worry if I were you. In fact, I think I’d be celebrating!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ask him yourself.” Chris grinned, wiggled his eyebrows, and returned to their team mates. Yuuri’s heart was racing, his face was hot, and he was utterly confused.

*

For the rest of the day, Chris’ suggestion that Yuuri’s feelings for Victor were more than just friendly followed him constantly. He had left the stadium as quickly as he could after practice. He didn’t want to look at Victor, not when he was so confused and uncertain.

Could it be possible that Chris was right?

Yuuri had never spent much time thinking about romantic love. He was young, and he had a clear goal in mind: graduating from Hogwarts and becoming a professional Seeker. There seemed to be no time to worry about crushes and dates. He wasn’t oblivious to the fact that his classmates were all too keen to divide themselves up into couples, and gossip about other people’s crushes, but he hadn’t paid much attention to any of that.

Yuuri couldn’t remember ever having felt the need to ask a girl out. He had noticed good-looking classmates before and thought about kissing one or two of them, but he had never meant to put those fleeting thoughts into action.

He had been kissed, once, the previous year. He had helped a girl from the year below him with her Potions homework a few times, and during one of their tutoring sessions she had kissed him, completely out of the blue. Caught by surprise, he hadn’t known how to react, and ended up staring at her until she had shrugged, and returned to her homework. They had never talked about it again, and Yuuri was glad about it. Although he thought she was nice, and pretty, and smart, he didn’t feel like kissing her again.

And now Chris believed that he had a crush on Victor. How was he supposed to know if that was what he felt when he had never had a crush before? How could he be sure?

Yuuri had never considered the possibility of liking another guy. Somewhere in the back of his mind was an imagined image of him, older, on his wedding day, the bride’s face always blurry or in shadows. It was just what was expected, he thought, and so he had never bothered wondering if that was what he wanted. It had been far away, something his future self would be more qualified to deal with.

Now that it was a possibility, he had to know if his feelings for Victor were of a romantic nature. He couldn’t spend all that time with him without knowing. Yuuri sat in the Hufflepuff common room, pretending to read his Transfiguration book, while he tried to figure out how he felt about Victor.

He liked him, that much was certain. He trusted him completely, and he never got tired of spending time with him. When they had celebrated his birthday, the present he had cared about the most, had been the one from Victor. All those things could just as easily describe a good friend though. They didn’t prove anything.

Digging deeper, he thought about all those times when Victor had taken his hand, and the little pang of disappointment every time he let go. Yuuri _had_ sometimes caught himself looking at Victor, admiring his hair, the colour of his eyes, the way he carried his body. He _did_ like the way Victor sometimes looked at him, with that soft expression in his eyes and a smile on his face.

Still, did that mean that he liked him as more than a friend? The real question was, did he want more from him than he already had? Did he, for example, want to _kiss_ him?

Yuuri felt himself blush at the mere thought. He tried to imagine it, his face getting closer and closer to Victor’s, but no matter how many times he tried, his mind always blanked before he could get to the actual kissing part.

He sighed. Thinking alone wasn’t getting him anywhere. He would have to wait until the next time he saw Victor. He had a feeling that seeing him would help him understand his feelings.

He did his best to ban all thoughts of Victor and feelings from his mind until Phichit came along and asked if he wanted to join him for dinner. Yuuri agreed, took his school work back to the dormitory, and followed Phichit to the Great Hall. He didn’t doubt the feelings he had for Phichit. It was absolutely clear to him that they were best friends, and Yuuri didn’t want anything else from him. For a second he tried to imagine kissing Phichit, and the thought almost made him laugh out loud because it simply felt wrong. There was no questioning that he loved Phichit, but it was very clearly one kind of love, and not another. Why didn’t he have the same clarity about Victor?

They found seats at their table and sat with their backs to the wall, facing the Hall. Because he was talking to Phichit, Yuuri got through his mashed potatoes, beans, and steak almost without thinking about the questions on his mind. Yuuri passed on dessert, and let his gaze wander around the Hall without focusing on anything in particular, while Phichit dug into his chocolate cake with enthusiasm. Someone across the Hall laughed particularly loudly at a joke, and Yuuri automatically looked over to the Gryffindor table. Just a few seats away from the boy who had laughed, Victor sat between Chris and Mila.

As if he could feel Yuuri’s gaze, Victor looked up from his plate and met his eye. He smiled, and gave a small wave. Yuuri looked away quickly, and an image flashed across his mind. Suddenly, he had no problem imagining kissing Victor at all. His face felt hot, and he looked back over to Victor to see if he had noticed him blushing.

Victor was still looking in his direction, and raised an eyebrow as if to ask what had caused the change in Yuuri’s face’s colour. He lifted his fork to eat a bite of cake, drawing Yuuri’s eyes to his lips from all the way across the Hall. Yuuri felt his face go even redder.

There was no question about it – he wanted to kiss Victor. Badly.

 

* * *

  

Mila was glad to be back at Hogwarts. She had enjoyed being home for the holidays, but after a while she found herself getting bored. There was only so much school work she could motivate herself to do, and she missed playing Quidditch. Additionally, and she was a little embarrassed to admit this to herself, she couldn’t wait to see Sara again.

They had hugged on the platform waiting to take the train back to school. Mila thought Sara had blushed a little as she pulled out of the hug, but it might have been the cold causing the flush in her cheeks. Mila had made sure to thank her again for the Christmas present she had given her – a large poster of her favourite Quidditch team.

During the train ride, Mila became convinced that Sara was acting strangely, as if she was nervous for some reason. Maybe she had figured out whether or not she liked girls.

The first week back at school Mila waited for Sara to say something about the topic. She knew she shouldn’t push her, so she did her best to be patient and let Sara decide when she wanted to talk about it.

The whole school quickly fell back into the usual routine of lessons, meals, and homework, and the first half of January passed quickly. Mila was still waiting for Sara to tell her the reason for her nervousness, which hadn’t passed. Mila noticed it almost every time they saw each other. Sara would glance at her and open her mouth as if to say something, and then change her mind, closing her mouth again, always with a frustrated sort of look on her face. Mila pretended not to notice. If she was being honest, she found it quite cute. Still, it was almost infuriating, waiting for Sara to tell her if there was even the tiniest hope that they might become what people liked to call ‘more than friends’.

On the evening Sara did finally tell her, they were sitting in the library, at the same table they had sat at when Sara had first told her about not being sure.

“I figured something out,” Sara said without warning.

Mila looked up from her notes, surprised. She hadn’t expected this today.

“I thought so,” she said.

“Not what you think though. Well, not exactly.” Sara was blushing again, and she wasn’t looking Mila in the eye but instead seemed to focus on a point somewhere to her left.

“Okay, I’m intrigued.”

It took a while for Sara to speak again. Mila waited, not saying anything on purpose so Sara could take all the time she needed.

“It’s about y– I mean,” Sara interrupted herself, her face now bright red. “I think – no, I know that… I’ve realised that I… I like you.”

Mila stared at her. She wasn’t sure if she had understood her correctly. Luckily, Sara provided clarification when Mila didn’t say anything.

“As in, I have a crush on you,” she said and actually _laughed_ when Mila’s eyes widened in happy surprise.

“You look like someone hit you over the head with a Beaters’ bat,” Sara said. It looked like her embarrassment had all but vanished.

“Yeah, that’s how I feel,” Mila said, her voice a bit more hoarse than anticipated. “I uhm, I like you too.”

“That’s what I was hoping.” Sara said cheerfully.

“So… what does that mean? I mean, what do you want?”

Sara sighed. “To be perfectly honest, I can’t make any promises right now. Because I can’t just… be your girlfriend just like that.”

Mila nodded slowly, trying to hide her disappointment. “Can I ask why not?” she asked carefully.

Sara nodded. “I’m so new to this. I’m still not completely sure I like girls, you know? I like you, but I don’t know if I like girls in general. Does that make sense? I feel like if we decided to be girlfriends, it would be too much and I would panic and that would not be good.”

“Do you want us to just stay friends?”

“No. If that’s what you want, that’s fine, but I would prefer if we could kind of ease into the whole relationship thing a bit. I just need some time to wrap my head around the idea.”

Mila smiled, the disappointment she had felt before already melting away.

“That’s fine. It’s not like I’ve had a tonne of girlfriends before. Just keep me updated on what you’re okay with. For example, can we go on a proper date?”

“I think that would be okay.”

They both smiled at each other, and agreed to go to Hogsmeade together the following weekend. Mila couldn’t believe this was actually happening. She had hoped for this for such a long time, and now it was becoming true. Sara _liked_ her. She couldn’t stop smiling, even after they had said goodnight and she was walking through the castle to the Gryffindor common room.

 

* * *

 

Yuri enjoyed being back at school, or rather, he enjoyed being friends with Otabek again. They had soon fallen back into their routine of hanging out after Quidditch practice, although the first few days after they had returned from the holidays had been slightly awkward. After their first training session, Yuri hadn’t been sure if Otabek would want to talk about their misunderstanding before going back to being friends. He hadn’t known how to ask, so he just settled on “so, are we friends?” and Otabek had nodded and even smiled a small smile.

By mid-January Yuri had almost forgotten about the short period in which he had been convinced that Otabek didn’t want him around. What kept his thoughts returning to the Christmas break was the fact that he still didn’t know what Otabek was so worried about. Yuri remembered specifically telling him in his letter to tell him what it was if he wanted to be friends again, but somehow they had resumed their friendship without the topic ever coming up. Although he wasn’t exactly well-known for thinking about other people’s feelings, Yuri knew that Otabek must be thinking about it, too. If he had been worried to tell him before their fight, and he still hadn’t spilled the beans now, even though Yuri had promised he wouldn’t have a problem with whatever it was, then that must mean that he was still hesitant to trust Yuri.

It bothered Yuri more with every day that passed. For the first few days he had thought Otabek would open his mouth at some point, but it just never happened. It took a lot of willpower not to yell at him to tell him already. The only thing that stopped him from doing exactly that was the worry that Otabek might push him away again. He had done so before, and if he felt cornered, he might do it again. And this time there might not be any letters to rectify the situation.

Yuri did what he could to push the thought that Otabek was keeping this secret from him to the back of his mind. It wasn’t working very well. The longer he had to wait to hear the truth, the more absurd his thoughts became. If Otabek didn’t want him to know, it must be something really bad. Was he somehow involved in organised crime? Was he dying? Whenever he caught himself wondering, his mind wandering to darker and darker places, Yuri felt the impulse to break whatever object was nearest.

When he couldn’t take it any longer he decided to give Otabek three more days to bring it up himself, otherwise he would have to give him a little push. Even if that meant that Otabek would turn his back on him again. That would be less stressful than not knowing what was so horrible that his best friend – his only friend – couldn’t tell him.

*

The three days passed, and Otabek remained silent as ever. After Quidditch practice they stayed behind in the changing room as they always did, and Yuri felt his stomach twist in nervous anticipation. He was leaning against the wall for support, watching Otabek organise practice times for the next few weeks. Neither of them was speaking, and Yuri almost started talking several times, but felt something hold him back. Why couldn’t he just ask?

He knew that the answer to that question was that he was afraid to lose Otabek’s friendship again. He clenched his fists, irritated by his own hesitation. He had promised himself he would demand answers if Otabek didn’t talk, so now he had to follow through.

Yuri took a deep breath.

“So are you ever gonna tell me your stupid secret?”

Otabek looked up from the various schedules that were spread out in front of him on the bench. He didn’t answer, just looked at Yuri. He looked sad. Yuri felt his stomach twist again.

“By now I’m assuming you’ve killed at least half a dozen people.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not telling me what it is, so I’m assuming it’s bad. Do you smuggle dragon eggs? Or maybe you only get good grades in Transfiguration because you’ve got Hughes under the Imperius curse. Or–“

“I like guys.”

“What?”

“Romantically.”

Yuri stared at him.

“Can you please not look at me like that?” Otabek said quietly.

Yuri kept staring.

“Wait. That’s it?” he asked.

Otabek nodded.

“Beka! You complete idiot!” Yuri sat down on the floor and couldn’t hold back relieved laughter. “You think I wouldn’t want to be friends because of _that_? You realise that’s stupid, right? I mean, name the most obvious gay guy at Hogwarts.”

Otabek looked confused but complied. “Chris Giacometti?” he said.

“Okay, fine, second most obvious then.”

“I don’t know. What’s your point?”

“I mean Victor! You know he’s practically my cousin, right? He’s annoying as hell, but his giant crush on Katsuki is far from the most irritating thing about him.”

Otabek still didn’t seem to get it.

Yuri sighed. He couldn’t believe Otabek had made such a fuss about this. “My point is, if I had a problem with guys liking guys I wouldn’t be hanging around Victor, would I?”

“Oh,” Otabek said. “I didn’t know about Nikiforov.”

Yuri raised both eyebrows in disbelief.

“At least I wasn’t sure, I guess. So I couldn’t exactly know what your standpoint on this was.”

“Fine,” Yuri said. “I get that you’re worried about Quidditch and the people out there,” he made a gesture that was meant to encompass the outside world, “but you don’t need to worry about _me_! I honestly don’t give a shit.”

“I was scared you would think I was coming on to you or something.”

“Were you?”

“No.”

“Okay. Merlin’s beard, Beka. You had me seriously worried!”

“Sorry.”

“Whatever. Let’s just forget about it, okay?”

Otabek nodded. He looked relieved, and Yuri felt the same way. He understood why Otabek didn’t want this information out in the world, and it was probably smart of him to be quiet around new friends. It was strange to think that Otabek had thought he might reject him if he knew. Yuri pushed that thought from his mind. He was just glad that he had finally told him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right... I feel like after the Christmas chapter, this was kind of the revelations chapter :D  
> Yuuri really took a long time to figure out what's going on. So, starting next chapter, we can finally get into some romance related quality Katsuki awkwardness!  
> Yay for Mila and Sara, I guess? I'm just glad Mila doesn't have to wait for answers anymore.  
> And Yuri and Otabek: I know Yuri thinks Otabek is a bit of an idiot for not realising that Yuri would be fine with him liking guys, but I want to stress that Otabek being scared of coming out to him doesn't mean he doesn't trust Yuri. It's just hard!
> 
> Some news about future chapter updates: first of all, I'm not dropping this story!  
> But. There have been some developments resulting in me being more busy and stressed than ever before in my life, and I have to do some harsh prioritising for the next couple of months. I will keep writing this, and uploading new chapters, but I can't tell you when exactly the next chapter will be out. Sometime in May, I would think.  
> I hope you'll still keep reading this, even if it takes a bit longer between updates!  
> Btw, I don't know exactly how many more chapters there will be, but we're well over halfway through at this point.
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this makes sense to people. What do you think?  
> The plan is that I update this every Monday. Let's see how that goes.


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